Australia Is Answering The World's Questions And Some Of These Are Wild

    Who's the designated spider wrangler in your household?

    Hameda Nafiz
    by Hameda Nafiz

    BuzzFeed Staff

    Look, Australia is a place of wonderment and confusion, so it's no surprise that our international pals have some questions for us about it.

    Fox

    Well, Reddit user u/MidnightCiggarette decided to make it easier for them by creating a thread asking what their most pressing queries are — and we proceeded to answer them.

    Brookfield Zoo

    Here are some of our favourite responses.

    1. "Is swimming in the ocean dangerous there? I’ve heard there are box jellyfish that can kill you." — u/AidenMoMo

    Flickr: lindarobinson / Via flic.kr

    The answer: "Some of our most tropical and beautiful-looking beaches are un-swimmable. They’ll look super tempting — the blue water, white sand, rainforest cascading down to meet the shore — but don’t be fooled. The sharks and jellyfish are the least of your worries. Salt water crocodiles will often swim out into the sea around these tropical areas."

    —u/Ultimatelee

    2. "Is it weird having Christmas in the summer when all of the pop culture music and movies come from the northern hemisphere?" — u/DeeDubb83

    Flickr: sackerman519 / Via flic.kr

    The answer: "I think we've embraced it. We have stories about Santa taking six big white kangaroos (boomers) instead of reindeer around the country, because it's too hot — and we have a lot of surfing Santa images too."

    —u/thehungrystingray

    3. "What’s it like to have a huntsman in your house?" — u/kpop_dont_stop

    Flickr: Yun Huang Yong / Via flic.kr

    The answer: "I like them, they eat a lot of the dangerous species. I named the last one Fred."

    —u/MidnightCiggarette

    4. "I've been told Australians either passionately love, or hate the song 'Land Down Under', is this true?" — u/ThisWasAValidName

    SME

    The answer: "I've yet to meet an Australian that won't shed a patriotic tear as soon as the opening notes start to play."

    —u/UnfriendlyGhostKas

    5. "I learned from Conan O'Brien (who is a totally reputable source) that AC/DC is called Acca Dacca in Australia, is that true?" — u/Mufahrad

    CBS

    The answer: "Put it this way: I read your comment as 'I learned that Acca Dacca is called Acca Dacca in Australia...'"

    —u/ErrandlessUnheralded

    6. "Less of a question and more of a general statement about how much I love Tim Tams and wish we had them here." — u/Einmanabanana

    Flickr: joyosity / Via flic.kr

    7. "Are kangaroos really as abundant there as deer are here in America? Do they also eat all your fucking vegetables that you've spent hours planting?" — u/clubroo

    National Geographic

    The answer: "Yep! We see them daily in even slightly remote areas. They are as big a pest as rabbits in most countries and they are mostly shy, so the veggie issue depends on how far away your garden is."

    —u/MidnightCiggarette

    8. "Do you guys call flip flops thongs?" — u/FaZe-Elon-Musk

    Flickr: chumpolo / Via flic.kr

    The answer: "Yes." 

    — u/Samurai_Pizza_Catz

    9. "How often do insects and snakes invade your home?" — u/IIlikememes

    Flickr: laughingface / Via flic.kr

    The answer: "Spiders are daily, at least where I am. Snakes — not as much until you leave the more urban areas."

    —u/MidnightCiggarette

    10. "Why is chicken salt only available there and not in the UK? It's not fair!" — u/Silver060

    BuzzFeed

    The answer: "We put up with the deadly wildlife for that glorious golden seasoning."

    —u/MidnightCiggarette

    11. "Can spiders spider spider?" — u/mycovertsexjokelogin

    Flickr: jean_hort / Via flic.kr

    The answer: "Yes, also spiders."

    —u/MidnightCiggarette

    12. "Do people drink a lot over there? I hear it's really common for everyone...I don't mean this in a bad way!" — u/KryptKeepah

    Flickr: allypark / Via flic.kr

    The answer: "Lol, we have a binge drinking culture, so there's been heavy regulations on alcohol. But it's changing. Young people aren't drinking as much. Our biggest drunks now are apparently middle-aged women!"

    —u/smokestacklightnen

    13. "Settle it once and for all: When you go to work, do you ride on the kangaroo or in the pouch? I say in the pouch because then you have someplace to put your snacks. Let me know, I have five bucks riding on this." — u/Ezl

    National Geographic

    The answer: "Nah mate, on them. The pouch is sticky as hell and then you smell like roo-goo for the whole day and your co-workers know you can’t steer a roo good enough to ride it."

    —u/MidnightCiggarette

    14. "Is magpie season an actual issue or is that some more drop bear shit?" — u/mbergescapee

    Flickr: naparazzi / Via flic.kr

    The answer: "Unfortunately, it actually is real — they get very aggressive in spring. Luckily you mostly hear them call out or fly around before they hit you and if you turn to face them, they back off. It’s called swooping season and it sucks. For the record, one hitting you feels like half a brick with claws to the back of the head."

    —u/MidnightCiggarette

    15. "Why are there as many fires there as there are in California?" — u/therealspiderdonkey

    Flickr: michaelroper / Via flic.kr

    The answer: "One reason is we have the badass eucalyptus tree, fire actually stimulates its regrowth. The Australian environment is dry, hot and adapted for the occasional bush fire. Climate change and arson are obviously making this a more regular and devastating occurrence."

    —u/smokestacklightnen

    16. "What do you do if you have a fear of spiders?" — u/PM_ME_COOL_THINGS_

    Flickr: dhobern / Via flic.kr

    The answer: "All Australian households have a designated spider wrangler. It is a serious role, passed down generation to generation and is not gender specific. It seems to be silently agreed upon by all members of the house."

    —u/kyperactive

    17. "Do you really have to look in every sock, every shoe and simply everything before using it in case there is a spider inside of it?" — u/SPN-Potter-dom

    Flickr: fineplan / Via flic.kr

    The answer: "Only if your shoes are left outside. Cane toads are the real threat. I once pulled my boot on without checking that it was unoccupied. The sensation was indescribably horrific."

    —u/BlueRoseandRhaegar

    18. "How does it feel to have lost a war against a bunch of birds?" — u/The_HaminaTHor

    Flickr: mrpeaches83 / Via flic.kr

    The answer: "We are still salty about it tbh."

    —u/MidnightCiggarette

    19. And finally, "How do your emu overlord’s treat you guys?" — u/thomas030303

    Tumblr: @strangebio / Via strangebio.com

    The answer: "I consulted my personal emu warden and he advised me not to answer that."

    —u/MidnightCiggarette

    Note: Responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.