To admire this woman's sang-froid? *(Warning: spider alert)

[TheAnswerIsDontThinkAboutIt]

[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/world-australia-59693271 You'd have heard me from space if that was me]]

@FestiveFruitloop

I'm horribly arachnophobic and daren't watch that clip, but I am curious! (and also super glad not to live in Australia)

You don’t actually see the spider @FestiveFruitloop so it’s safe to watch

I don't mind spiders at all - I happily pick them up with bare hands and pop them outside before my cats eat them.

I might feel differently if I lived somewhere with venomous spiders but I've only ever lived where native spiders are harmless.

She is hard core

If it had been me, I would have screamed and burnt the place to the ground

Yes it is true that spider episode of Peppa is not shown here because it teaches kids to make friends with spiders. That said, we recently started naming spiders around here to make the kids stop freaking out so much. It worked really well Tom was a medium sized huntsman who hung around for several weeks. Gerald was a small harmless garden spider who my 7 year old described (screamed) was huge.

But what really worries us is the red backs that occasionally show up in our shed. Now those you do want the kids scared of. Am just glad we don’t get funnel webs like they do in Sydney

I knew this was going to be about a spider just from "Australia" in the url.

@Lockheart

The sign language interpreter at 00:25

Also my favourite part!! Just brilliant

@JesusInTheCabbageVan

I'm not an arachnophobe, but I can't see myself living in a country where you basically all have to be spider experts. The fact that they all instantly knew it was a huntsman not just 'You've got a massive fuck-off spider on you'.

Exactly. And this just proves to me that being harassed by a Huntsman is a regular occurrence for them. No one should have to live like that.

"... let me know if it gets near my face"

Fuck that! I've met one, during an arachnophobia session. They are huge and can move fast, whith all four of their front facing beady littlw eyes staring right at you.

No way could I stand still. I'll take a tarantula any day!

@Greygreenblue

Yes it is true that spider episode of Peppa is not shown here because it teaches kids to make friends with spiders. That said, we recently started naming spiders around here to make the kids stop freaking out so much. It worked really well Tom was a medium sized huntsman who hung around for several weeks. Gerald was a small harmless garden spider who my 7 year old described (screamed) was huge.

But what really worries us is the red backs that occasionally show up in our shed. Now those you do want the kids scared of. Am just glad we don’t get funnel webs like they do in Sydney

I'm both horrified and delighted this turned out to be true

Wasn't there a millipede or something like that that was of course also recently found in Oz? You honestly couldn't pay me to have a vacation in Australia!

She lives in Queensland, she’d be used to giant spiders. I remember a friend going there as a kid, the plan had been for me to join them but I couldn’t and when she returned she said it was probably for the best 😂.

Huntsmans are harmless, just fucking huge. They like to sit high up near the ceiling so you turn on the light and have a flipping heart attack.

You get taught as a kid not to go poking around rocks with your bare hands but it’s not like they are stalking us. I hate hate hate spiders but the scary big ones are harmless, the deadly ones are little and hidden away. I felt quite betrayed by how many spiders we had while living in London. It was a lot more than I’d seen at home in Sydney.

It does help that the cats adore them. You can’t help feel sympathetic towards the spider when one moment there’s a spider and the next you find scattered leg bits and cats licking their lips with satisfaction.

@Lockheart

The sign language interpreter at 00:25

Absolute legend

I'm quite zen about [non-venomous] spiders but I'm pretty sure I'd still have jumped out of my skin at one engaging in non-consenual contact with me!

Aussies are just built different. I'm a recovering arachnaphobe but I think I'd just die on the spot.

I am an arachnophobe, I once walked through a garden spider web, which I'd seen earlier with a big fat (ok, half inch ) spider in it. My involuntary response was to do full speed laps of the garden, yelling 'getitoffgetitoffgetitoff' at DP while he stood still, unable to reach me even if he hadn't been pissing himself laughing.
I then did a sort of uncoordinated stop drop roll across the lawn.

So yeah. Glad I wasn't on national TV...

Are huntsmans the ones that have an attitude problem? That will run up a broom and bite you if you accidentally sweep them? Or is that some other eight legged horror?

I'd love to go to Australia. And also to South America and trek through the rainforest, but could you imagine if I'm half way to machu picchu and feel a Web across my face?! They'd have to send out search parties to locate me!!

@MissMinutes24

Also there's a horrifying pic of Chris Hemsworth posing with a giant spider in his home (probably a huntsman?) i won't post it but if you Google it comes up.

It's fucking huge.

Ha! That photo is ace. However, while he’s trying to be cool, his eyes are locked onto that Huntsman because they are devilish quick and sort of leap. 😰

@WeatherwaxLives that sounds more like a funnel web. Huntsmans are more found high up on a wall and they seem to freeze in fear of us.

Funnel webs are aggressive fuckers and do bastard things like hide in clothes left on the floor then bite when someone picks them up. But they aren’t everywhere, I’ve lived my whole life in prime funnel web areas and I’ve never seen one.

[quote tcjotm]@WeatherwaxLives that sounds more like a funnel web. Huntsmans are more found high up on a wall and they seem to freeze in fear of us.

Funnel webs are aggressive fuckers and do bastard things like hide in clothes left on the floor then bite when someone picks them up. But they aren’t everywhere, I’ve lived my whole life in prime funnel web areas and I’ve never seen one.[/quote]
Nah, my money would be on an orb weaver.

I think funnel webs don’t have webs like that. They are tunneling spiders and only have webs on the ground.

As well as being very cool about it, I love that her instinct is to get someone else to remove the spider from her. Very "I have staff for this" attitude. Well done her. Instead of flapping around like I would have done.

We've got two golden orbs trying to weave webs on the letterbox. It's very inconvenient.

That was a hilarious clip, well done that woman, what composure!

Glad the star of the show didn't peek his face above the podium though ha ha!

She is a legend ! I am not at all scared of spiders ( cos I live in the UK ) but that would of certainly given me pause for thought !

@WeatherwaxLives
your post has proper made me chuckle

Well done to her for keeping it together. If it was me, I would have gone viral from all the swear words and jumping about screaming my head off.