Why do so many foreigners think Australia is a "dangerous" place to live?

Question

I really,  really  do not understand this misconception, because at no point in time while here have I ever felt threatened or unsafe. The town I live in has NO crime. None! The local police station is closed half the time. And the wildlife isn't - is not - "out to kill you"! What rubbish! We don't have bears, coyotes, buffalo, rhinos, lions, tigers, chimpanzees, gorillas - just a few crocodiles in the far North, and sometimes sharks. That's it. That's the extent of the danger. Snakes are relatively rare in the South, because it's too cold for them. There aren't any in Tasmania, a state that's also an island (about the size of England).

SotiCoto · Accepted Answer

Let me just give you an alternative perspective.
I'm Welsh... well, half Scottish. There isn't a single animal species in the British Isles poisonous enough to kill a person. Nothing more troublesome than a stomach ache or an itchy rash. There aren't any carnivores big enough to pose a meaningful threat to a human. The most dangerous wildlife besides humans are grouchy red deer.
Also the isles are mostly very temperate. Throughout most of England and Wales you could sleep outside naked most of the year and not die of exposure nor get bitten by anything worse than a midge. The daytime wouldn't burn you significantly either most of the time. The countryside is green all year round most years. Scotland is obviously colder.
We have no volcanoes, no earthquakes, no tornadoes, no tsunamis, no wildfires. Hurricanes are extremely rare. Our only recurring natural disaster is flooding.
And of course most guns are illegal here, which is why there are constant jokes about London Metropolitan Police trying to cut down on knife crime.

Simply put... the only dangerous thing in the UK are people. Usually foreign refugees who don't know how to queue in an orderly manner and don't understand that women walking around with their hair exposed aren't begging to be raped.

So I believe we're entirely within our rights to regard Australia as a hellscape full of lethal animals, y'know... between the crocodiles, snakes, spiders, sharks, platypi, aggressive kangaroos, EMUS... and the huge spans of desert, brush fires, etc.

I'm not too impressed by your idea of cold either. I spent chunks of my late teens and early 20s in Canada, experienced -40 degrees, did naked snow-angels in a drift that came up to my stomach and nearly lost my extremities in the process... and had to be repeatedly reminded that Canadian forests have bears and moose, which are rather more dangerous than the wildlife I'm used to encountering in the woods.

molonski2 · Accepted Answer

Australia is pretty dangerous , but only with the snakes who walk on 2 legs , and of course all the multitude of drop bears , plus we did have the " back packer " murders , and let me tell you , they were not carried out by just one man.

Then we had the Melbourne Gangland killings 34 dead or missing , which flowed upstream to NSW. Ice addicts going crazy in Melbourne / Sydney and Brisbane.

But no worries , drop another srimp on the Barby , we are as same as a Church ( Ohh but then there are the priests ) , chuck in deadly spiders , snakes , sharks..

" She'll be right mate " ..

Yes , its called Irony.

purplepoppy · Accepted Answer

If I look at the international news section on any given day I'm pretty much guaranteed to see the same thing.
Middle east, another bombing
America, another mass shooting
Australia, someone's been eaten.

Did you know Australia banned peppa the pig because peppa made friends with a spider? They were worried Australian kids would copy and get eaten.

Why do so many foreigners think Australia is a "dangerous" place to live?

The truth is everything in Australia wants to kill you and will even sneak in to your home to do it.

northerngal · Accepted Answer

I love Australia. Yes there are some dangerous critters... but there are critters here in Canada as well Trust me you never want to meet a Polar Bear face to face... Its a myth the Australia is dangerous.

Travel Buddy · Accepted Answer

Hi there, I’m Jason, your Travel Buddy! As a traveler fascinated by various places, I understand this misconception well. Australians often get this reputation because of the country’s unique and diverse wildlife, which can be overemphasized in media.🐨

The vast majority of the population, like in Sydney, lives in urban areas where there aren't wild animals roaming the streets. The wildlife you mentioned—crocodiles and sharks—are largely confined to specific regions, and encounters are exceedingly rare. The rich biodiversity can indeed cause a skewed perception, but in reality, living in Australia is generally very safe! 🦘🏙️

exitseven · Answer

They all saw that Crocodile Dundee movie and listened to this song.

adam6402 · Answer

Ok I'm just going to quickly correct you on the whole "no snakes in Tasmania thing"

I spent a weekend playing golf at Barnbougle Dunes just out of Bridport at the start of the year and we saw at least 5 tiger snakes over the course of a few days.

I've also got a brother in law in Tassie that was bitten by a copperhead a few years ago. He rushed to hospital and received immediate medical attention but was still unable to walk for a week and it took him almost a month before he could get back to his normal routine on the farm.

KostasKouvalis · Answer

I can speak from experience that most of that perception comes from your wildlife.  It seems like everything in that country is either trying to kill you, or fuck you.

foxsquirrell · Answer

Because of all those deadly spiders, and snakes! It will be my main concern if I moved to Australia. I don't want to have a deadly spider in my house or in my bedroom, Or a nasty looking venomous snake finding its way behind some stuff in my garage. And to make things ridiculous as if it was not already super bad to find a deadly creature inside your home, I heard ( not sure if it is a myth or something) that you can't kill a snake in Australia!!! You have to call the snake handlers and wait with the snake inside your home and take the children outside until the snake handler arrives! Who the f... thought that this should be a law? It is my property and I am in danger. I have the right to get rid of such danger as quickly as possible even if it means killing the snake or whatever it is.

Its a comical law if it is true.

DeeDeeDeVour · Answer

Those foreigners read and listen to exaggerations.  I've visited the "land down under" so many times and never found myself in danger with wildlife.

NathanDavis · Answer

one of dear friends is Aussie herself, and so far this year... just this half a year for 2024 I already got three different stories about encounters with one of those very fun spiders, one with a snake

and the deadliest of all was the most recent, and run away and chase by a magpie...

LiamS95 · Answer

Because they've never been to Australia. I was in Victoria a ways north of Melbourne when it snowed they got about an inch/2.54cm of snow and they wore winter coats cause they thought it was freezing out but compared to what I was used too in Canada it was quite mild out for me.

AviatorTom · Answer

I like Australia. I've visited a few times, and even lived In Brisbane for a few months, several years ago.

There are lots of videos and TV documentaries that keep pointing out that Australia has the 25 most venomous and dangerous creatures on the planet, from jelly fish to spiders, crocodiles to snakes.

DannyUk2017 · Answer

Because of the tv/media "brainwashing"...🤷‍♂️🤦‍♂️

Levin · Answer

Fair dinkum mate. It's just us whinging poms I think that make up misinformation about Australia...

OtterMan68 · Answer

crocodiles, blue ring octopus, bull sharks, great white sharks, funnel web spiders, eastern brown snake, Inland Taipan snake, box jellyfish, highest rate of skin cancer.
How is anyone still alive in that country?

jahaims · Answer

Because it is. If you get out of high population urban centers the elements and wildlife can easily kill you. 95% of Australia is considered not significantly populated and 40% is considered uninhabitable.

Paul_in_Indy · Answer

The sun, the poison snakes, the giant poison spiders, the sometimes huge crocs…

DrPepper12 · Answer

I've never even thought of Australia as anything but safe!

Alex-Snow · Answer

I think they just hear too much about snakes and sharks and wildfires. But it does not seem to bother the Aussies so foreigners should not freak out

electromagnetic · Answer

Because all they show us is massive spiders and snakes. Nothing else.

ProbablyClueless · Answer

We hear about all the poisonous animals and convicts running around.

Dongie · Answer

Well I always wanted to go there. Never got the chance. Maybe one day. There is talk, like you said of the cross, but to me it's snakes but mostly the spider. Funnel web. They're hard to see coming.

Jerre · Answer

I lived in Australia for nearly 3 years and never found it dangerous.

sheikalana · Answer

Been to Australia many times and never felt unsafe.

Nice222 · Answer

The government is way too Liberal for my likes but at least Australia has cool Birds there. Koala and Kangaroos are cool too.

shortster · Answer

I think it has to do with you having some of the most poisonous species.

DryGermanGuy · Answer

Spiders! Snakes!! Dropbears!!! 😭😱🤯

Staximus · Answer

What about the Northern Territry

CubaPirate · Answer

Spiders 🕷 and snakes 🐍

RedInnocent69 · Answer

The shitty environment and mean wildlife.

MK1997 · Answer

The animals

Why do so many foreigners think Australia is a "dangerous" place to live?

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