#1 08-06-23 19:10:27

johnoneill2023

Member

Registered: 05-02-23

Posts: 10

Outdoor Filming - Spiders, Crocodiles etc. (Hopefully funny!)

Speaking as somebody who lives in England where the worst we have to contend with is a seagull stealing your chips or a wasp attacking you when trying to eat a jam and cream scone I have always wondered on this site...

When you film videos outside: don't you worry about the spiders / crocodiles / stinging trees that you have in Australia? Eeek! You are very brave!

richard

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Registered: 14-03-06

Posts: 3,279

Re: Outdoor Filming - Spiders, Crocodiles etc. (Hopefully funny!)

Speaking as somebody who lives in England where the worst we have to contend with is a seagull stealing your chips or a wasp attacking you when trying to eat a jam and cream scone I have always wondered on this site...

When you film videos outside: don't you worry about the spiders / crocodiles / stinging trees that you have in Australia? Eeek! You are very brave!

Ha I love this question.  In fact the animal you're most likely to be killed by is a horse - falling off it.  Or mosquito borne disease, but even that is only a few a year.

Crocs are only in the far north, and we've never shot anywhere near there.  And if we did, it wouldn't be near water!  Spiders keep to themselves and locals know what's safe and whats' not.  If you're around Sydney you're very careful digging in the garden due to funnel web spiders.  Here in Melbourne the dangers are red backs and white tails.  The last death from a red back was in the 50's and it was a man bitten on the penis apparently, from the days of external toilets where redbacks would spin a web in the gap between the seat and the bowl sometimes.  Perhaps he was too embarrassed to get medical attention.  If you don't go sticking your hand down the back of the woodheap you're unlikely to get bitten by a redback.  I've been bitten by a white tail and the bite itself is just like a dozen mosquitoes at once, but they can sometimes carry dangerous bacteria that causes skin necrosis.  A musician recently posted on FB from his hospital bed where they were trying to save his finger after a spider bite, and the description sounded horrific. 

What we really need to be careful about is snakes, but they're timid and encounters are quite rare, unless you spend a lot of time outdoors.  We often shoot near water in summer, which is where and when you expect to find them, but we're careful and have never seen one on a shoot.  Although when shooting with Samara_L at the waterhole, we passed a ranger who told us she'd seen 3 that afternoon and advised us to be careful.  Most of the snakes we get around here are very dangerous.

But what spooks the foreign contributors sometimes is ants.  It's difficult to find somewhere to sit without getting an army of them invading your body.  We wouldn't shoot near bullants but the little black ones do bite, not painful so much as annoying. 

The most scared I've ever been in a shoot was in a park where there's a lot of wild kangaroos.  If you keep your distance they do the same, but this day a large male bounced over to about 10 metres away and took an aggressive stance.  We stared each other down and he eventually  decided I was too big for him but truth is, he could have whipped my arse.  People have been killed.  I told the contributor he was just being friendly but I think my voice probably gave away my fear ha.

However, don't stress about traveling here.  You have virtually nil chance of getting bitten by anything more dangerous than a mozzie.  Don't approach a large male kanga if there's a female with him.

_redbird_

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Registered: 22-04-16

Posts: 387

Re: Outdoor Filming - Spiders, Crocodiles etc. (Hopefully funny!)

I also really enjoy this question. While we ABSOLUTELY have loads of animals that can kill you, they actually rarely do. Crocodiles and jellyfish are for sure extremely dangerous and common in the far north parts of Australia. Places up there are generally very good with clear signage and people for the most part are very cautious. Even super rough and tough blokey blokes and sheilas know not to swim in specific waterholes (or even let your dog to do so) because crocodiddles are sneaky and clever af and NO ONE wants to be the victim of a death roll, oof.

Like Richard said, snakes for sure are our main concern, but they honestly aren't aggressive and it's only really if you step on or get into a snake's personal space that they'll attack. Tiger snakes are a little more brave and ballsy but aren't one of our SUPER venomous ones, and they're responsible for approximately only 1 death a year.

My sister lives in far north Queensland and my poor little niece was the victim of a stinging bush when they went camping when she was about 4. Apparently the pain was unimaginably bad, and to make it worse their car got bogged so it was over 24 hours of excruciating pain for the wee thing .

I grew up in the bush and you're taught from a very young age to always use caution and common sense in your surroundings, hence why a lot of Australians have a pretty casual attitude towards living with so many dangerous creatures (I swear it's not just for the benefit of non-Aussies, haha).

SELVOREAN

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Registered: 26-10-16

Posts: 43

Re: Outdoor Filming - Spiders, Crocodiles etc. (Hopefully funny!)

funny conversation
As a Spanish native, it is difficult for me to understand the dangers of going out into the countryside that, apparently, they suffer there in Australia.
I also suppose that with the extension of the country, and its diverse ecosystems, the risks will not be the same everywhere. The north will not be the same as the south, the center as the coasts.
In my country the most dangerous thing is to go out into the field, kick a stone and be stung by a scorpion, which on the other hand is not fatal. And in case anyone is wondering: no, fighting bulls (fighting bulls) do not run loose in our fields, hahahahaha. They are well collected in what we call here "dehesas".
One of the few possibilities that one of these magnificent animals will gore you is to participate in the “San Fermines de Pamplona”.
Much easier to get bitten by a dog or scratched by a cat.
Wild boars deserve special mention, which as of 2020, with the confinement of people to their homes, and their high reproduction rate, are now seen quite frequently on the outskirts of cities near forests.
I suppose you must be used to it, but it would be difficult for me to see some kangaroos in the wild and not try to get close to photographing them. In case I visit your fantastic country, I take note of your recommendation.

Greetings from old Europe.

johnoneill2023

Member

Registered: 05-02-23

Posts: 10

Re: Outdoor Filming - Spiders, Crocodiles etc. (Hopefully funny!)

Thanks everyone for the replies - and thanks for the reassurance that if I visit Australia there won't be a crocodile / spider / stinging tree waiting for me in the tunnel at the airport as soon as I disembark the aircraft! (Although I will steer clear of the kangaroos!)

What about the Koala bears - are they as cute and friendly as they look?

In England we get those TV programmes like "The World's deadliest snakes" (which I really shouldn't watch!) - and they normally say that the Australian Brown Snake is highly aggressive and likes to attack for fun instead of running away!

I think the bravest person on here must be Georgia_L - I remember she did a (superb!) shoot by the sea in amongst loads of grass and plants! Eeek!

I would love to visit Australia one day - especially to see the F1 Grand Prix in Melbourne.

(One thing I would just add is that despite my low post count on the forum - I have been a member on and off since about 2006).

John.

richard

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Registered: 14-03-06

Posts: 3,279

Re: Outdoor Filming - Spiders, Crocodiles etc. (Hopefully funny!)

Thanks for your loyalty John!

There's a video coming up with Grace_R in a cemetery near the airport.  I was scouting that location a few years ago when I came across a snake so of course I photographed it.  It was backed up against the side of a raised grave and kept looking at me as I crept in closer and closer.  I think I have the picture here, I'll have a look.  Anyway I didn't know my snakes in those days so I went home and googled it and it came up "eastern brown snake - not aggressive unless cornered" and I wondered just how much closer I could have got before it struck out.  I was probably 1.5 metres from it, so not much! It's one of the deadliest snakes in the world as you found out - however it's timid so your program wasn't being exactly honest.  Snakes will not hunt you down.  Interestingly it's illegal to kill snakes these days and the next time I went to that cemetery there was a warning sign in exactly the spot I'd seen it, so I wasn't the only one who'd encountered it.  It was very close to where Grace did her thing (several years later) but I did a thorough check first.

If you ever see a koala, and you rarely do unless you know where to go, it'll be asleep in the fork of a tree, probably high up.  They look cute but make a growling noise that sounds like it comes from a feral pig 10 times their size.  Oh yes wild boars are a thing too...

Georgia has another beach shoot coming up, but where she shoots there's nothing that can do you in.  I don't think snakes like the sea.  No what you need to watch out for there are the tidal rips, and I came very close to drowning on that same beach.  Don't ever go out above waist depth unless you're near the lifesaver station or you're a very strong swimmer. 

Honestly, you're much more likely to come to mischief from drunk revheads or flying wheels at the GP.

Wait, stinging tree?  I've never heard of such a thing - just nettles, and I think you guys brought those over!

privignus

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Registered: 29-12-15

Posts: 545

Re: Outdoor Filming - Spiders, Crocodiles etc. (Hopefully funny!)

It's one of the deadliest snakes in the world as you found out - however it's timid so your program wasn't being exactly honest.  Snakes will not hunt you down.  Interestingly it's illegal to kill snakes these days and the next time I went to that cemetery there was a warning sign in exactly the spot I'd seen it, so I wasn't the only one who'd encountered it.  It was very close to where Grace did her thing (several years later) but I did a thorough check first.

In Texas and Colorado, so many people shoot rattlesnakes for rattling that they are evolving smaller rattles.  Since the sound of the rattle is the signal "do not come any closer or I will bite" that is probably bad news for Texans.

---

Res est arduissima vincere naturam,
in aspectu virginis mentem esse puram

johnoneill2023

Member

Registered: 05-02-23

Posts: 10

Re: Outdoor Filming - Spiders, Crocodiles etc. (Hopefully funny!)

Thanks for your loyalty John!

Wait, stinging tree?  I've never heard of such a thing - just nettles, and I think you guys brought those over!

Hi Richard,

Thanks very much.

The reason I love the site and have subscribed (on and off) since around 2006 is that every contributor seems to be very happy, are relaxed and genuinely enjoy being on the site. That's critical for me.

I think the Stinging Tree grows in Queensland. I was reading an article about it a couple of weeks ago - it is called the "Gympie-gympie" and can lead to a severe sting that doesn't go away for a year!

Another question from England - do you guys actually drink Foster's Lager? It's marketed as being an Australian beer but nobody (unless they are underage) would ever touch it here!

Contributor_Eden_A

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Registered: 11-05-23

Posts: 11

Re: Outdoor Filming - Spiders, Crocodiles etc. (Hopefully funny!)

Thanks for your loyalty John!

Wait, stinging tree?  I've never heard of such a thing - just nettles, and I think you guys brought those over!

Hi Richard,

Thanks very much.

The reason I love the site and have subscribed (on and off) since around 2006 is that every contributor seems to be very happy, are relaxed and genuinely enjoy being on the site. That's critical for me.

I think the Stinging Tree grows in Queensland. I was reading an article about it a couple of weeks ago - it is called the "Gympie-gympie" and can lead to a severe sting that doesn't go away for a year!

Another question from England - do you guys actually drink Foster's Lager? It's marketed as being an Australian beer but nobody (unless they are underage) would ever touch it here!

I can attest that the IFM team are incredible to work with, they make you feel so comfortable and in control

Also super fun question johnoneill2023! I do worry a little bit about ticks (I have a friend that found a tick on their groin after some outdoor "frolicking"). I also live in Perth where sharks are the talk of the town, we love sharks here but we have helicopters constantly monitoring the beaches just in case! (Not that I could, practically, do a shoot IN the ocean - hehe).

Last edited by Contributor_Eden_A (12-06-23 04:22:22)

richard

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Registered: 14-03-06

Posts: 3,279

Re: Outdoor Filming - Spiders, Crocodiles etc. (Hopefully funny!)

Another question from England - do you guys actually drink Foster's Lager? It's marketed as being an Australian beer but nobody (unless they are underage) would ever touch it here!

Not since about the 70's and especially not since it became foreign owned.  Most people drink 'independent' brands these days, although most are no owned by big foreign companies anyway.

_redbird_

Member

Registered: 22-04-16

Posts: 387

Re: Outdoor Filming - Spiders, Crocodiles etc. (Hopefully funny!)

I think the Stinging Tree grows in Queensland. I was reading an article about it a couple of weeks ago - it is called the "Gympie-gympie" and can lead to a severe sting that doesn't go away for a year!

Yes you are correctamundo! It's horrendous!

Another question from England - do you guys actually drink Foster's Lager? It's marketed as being an Australian beer but nobody (unless they are underage) would ever touch it here!

Absolutely not. At least, not since it became our trademark beverage. The other beers similar to Foster's were always more popular here (even though they're all equally as vile imo) - Victoria Bitter (VB), Carlton Draught, and Melbourne Bitter. Honestly other than Australian movies from the 70's and earlier, I have seen Foster's in more media from the UK than here. Pretty sure you can see it on tap in most pubs scenes (I'm specifically thinking of Peep Show and Spaced).

_redbird_

Member

Registered: 22-04-16

Posts: 387

Re: Outdoor Filming - Spiders, Crocodiles etc. (Hopefully funny!)

Thanks everyone for the replies - and thanks for the reassurance that if I visit Australia there won't be a crocodile / spider / stinging tree waiting for me in the tunnel at the airport as soon as I disembark the aircraft! (Although I will steer clear of the kangaroos!)

What about the Koala bears - are they as cute and friendly as they look?

In England we get those TV programmes like "The World's deadliest snakes" (which I really shouldn't watch!) - and they normally say that the Australian Brown Snake is highly aggressive and likes to attack for fun instead of running away!

I think the bravest person on here must be Georgia_L - I remember she did a (superb!) shoot by the sea in amongst loads of grass and plants! Eeek!

I would love to visit Australia one day - especially to see the F1 Grand Prix in Melbourne.

(One thing I would just add is that despite my low post count on the forum - I have been a member on and off since about 2006).

John.

Koalas (NOT koala "bears" btw. We're very particular about that) are not particularly friendly, and their claws are intensely long and sharp. (Probably unsurprisingly) our marsupials are quite aggressive. Kangaroos can eviscerate you with their claws, also if their kick is administered properly, it can snap your spine. Possums (especially in parks in the city) are basically like seagulls, and will happily take whatever you have in your hand and will not think twice about pissing and shitting on you from trees. Wombats are VERY territorial and are like little muscly boulders. While they're a monotreme rather than a marsupial, the male platypus has venomous barbs in his hind feet (although not fatal to humans). Tasmanian Devils are absolutely vicious little creatures with horrifying screams. 

If you're in Victoria, the main native animals you'd encounter are kangaroos, wallabies (which are cuter and superior to kangaroos imo), possums, and a plethora of birds (mainly parrots and birds of prey). Less commonly seen (but still possible) are wombats, koalas, and echidnas. Sadly, you're more likely to see a dead wombat or echidna on the side of the road than a live one .

richard

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Registered: 14-03-06

Posts: 3,279

Re: Outdoor Filming - Spiders, Crocodiles etc. (Hopefully funny!)

Sadly, you're more likely to see a dead wombat or echidna on the side of the road than a live one .

I've been waiting to find a dead wombat on the road so I can wrap a high viz vest around it, and make a meme with the caption: "If evolution was any good, wombats would be orange".  But then that would be contradictory to my devotion to science.

johnoneill2023

Member

Registered: 05-02-23

Posts: 10

Re: Outdoor Filming - Spiders, Crocodiles etc. (Hopefully funny!)

Koalas (NOT koala "bears" btw. We're very particular about that) are not particularly friendly, and their claws are intensely long and sharp. (Probably unsurprisingly) our marsupials are quite aggressive. Kangaroos can eviscerate you with their claws, also if their kick is administered properly, it can snap your spine. Possums (especially in parks in the city) are basically like seagulls, and will happily take whatever you have in your hand and will not think twice about pissing and shitting on you from trees. Wombats are VERY territorial and are like little muscly boulders. While they're a monotreme rather than a marsupial, the male platypus has venomous barbs in his hind feet (although not fatal to humans). Tasmanian Devils are absolutely vicious little creatures with horrifying screams. 

If you're in Victoria, the main native animals you'd encounter are kangaroos, wallabies (which are cuter and superior to kangaroos imo), possums, and a plethora of birds (mainly parrots and birds of prey). Less commonly seen (but still possible) are wombats, koalas, and echidnas. Sadly, you're more likely to see a dead wombat or echidna on the side of the road than a live one .

Thanks for all of your comments on the various animals. I always thought they were called Koala bears! Sorry for my misunderstanding! I've learnt something today

Whilst on the topic of animals - is it legal to own a pet rabbit in Australia? My understanding is that it is a definite "no". I have one who lives in a hutch in my lounge in the UK (called Halley) who is lovely (although she chews everything - sofa, carpet, curtains etc.)

Regarding Foster's in the UK - it is served in a lot of pubs, but I don't know of anyone that would order a pint of it unless it was the only thing available. You have reminded me that I need to watch "Peep Show" again - I haven't watched that for years!

johnoneill2023

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Registered: 05-02-23

Posts: 10

Re: Outdoor Filming - Spiders, Crocodiles etc. (Hopefully funny!)

But then that would be contradictory to my devotion to science.

Are there any particular areas of science that you like to focus on?

I studied Physics at Southampton University in the UK, with a particular interest in nuclear energy. There's a superb series that has just gone up on Netflix (not sure if it is available in Australia) about the Fukushima nuclear power station disaster in Japan in March 2011. The pace is a bit slow at times but still worth watching (the first episode is superb!)

johnoneill2023

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Registered: 05-02-23

Posts: 10

Re: Outdoor Filming - Spiders, Crocodiles etc. (Hopefully funny!)

I can attest that the IFM team are incredible to work with, they make you feel so comfortable and in control

Also super fun question johnoneill2023! I do worry a little bit about ticks (I have a friend that found a tick on their groin after some outdoor "frolicking"). I also live in Perth where sharks are the talk of the town, we love sharks here but we have helicopters constantly monitoring the beaches just in case! (Not that I could, practically, do a shoot IN the ocean - hehe).

Glad to hear that the team are nice to work with - my perception from the videos was that contributors to the site are treated properly on iFM and it is great to hear that is true. I subscribe for this reason.

Ticks - youch - that doesn't sound very comfortable! Eeek!

Do you swim in the sea, despite the sharks?

_redbird_

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Registered: 22-04-16

Posts: 387

Re: Outdoor Filming - Spiders, Crocodiles etc. (Hopefully funny!)

Thanks for all of your comments on the various animals. I always thought they were called Koala bears! Sorry for my misunderstanding! I've learnt something today

Whilst on the topic of animals - is it legal to own a pet rabbit in Australia? My understanding is that it is a definite "no". I have one who lives in a hutch in my lounge in the UK (called Halley) who is lovely (although she chews everything - sofa, carpet, curtains etc.)

Regarding Foster's in the UK - it is served in a lot of pubs, but I don't know of anyone that would order a pint of it unless it was the only thing available. You have reminded me that I need to watch "Peep Show" again - I haven't watched that for years!

It's illegal to own a rabbit in most states yes (especially Queensland I think?) but it IS legal in Victoria, and I'm pretty sure New South Wales also. One of my friends had a big floppy eared bun called Davey. He was gorgeous, and not quite as nibbley as a lot of rabbits.

Absolutely re-watch Peep Show! It's honestly held up really well and is one of the most consistently funny shows of the 2000's. It's the show I watch most nights while I eat my tea.

And yeah, you pretty much confirmed what I imagined about Foster's in the UK. You probably feel obligated to keep it in your pubs for us Aussies, but it's cool you guys! We hate Foster's too!

johnoneill2023

Member

Registered: 05-02-23

Posts: 10

Re: Outdoor Filming - Spiders, Crocodiles etc. (Hopefully funny!)

It's illegal to own a rabbit in most states yes (especially Queensland I think?) but it IS legal in Victoria, and I'm pretty sure New South Wales also. One of my friends had a big floppy eared bun called Davey. He was gorgeous, and not quite as nibbley as a lot of rabbits.

Absolutely re-watch Peep Show! It's honestly held up really well and is one of the most consistently funny shows of the 2000's. It's the show I watch most nights while I eat my tea.

Thanks for the information on rabbits in Australia. I don't think I can post a picture of mine on the forum but she is lovely (unless you try to pick her up to take her to the vet - that involves putting on oven gloves!)

Do you have a favourite episode(s) of Peep Show? The ones that stick in my mind are anything involving Super Hans ("I've accidentally run to Windsor"), Mark's wedding, and the episode where Mark tries to learn to drive.

The other programmes I love when I am having my dinner are the BBC comedy Red Dwarf and Family Guy.

_redbird_

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Registered: 22-04-16

Posts: 387

Re: Outdoor Filming - Spiders, Crocodiles etc. (Hopefully funny!)

It's illegal to own a rabbit in most states yes (especially Queensland I think?) but it IS legal in Victoria, and I'm pretty sure New South Wales also. One of my friends had a big floppy eared bun called Davey. He was gorgeous, and not quite as nibbley as a lot of rabbits.

Absolutely re-watch Peep Show! It's honestly held up really well and is one of the most consistently funny shows of the 2000's. It's the show I watch most nights while I eat my tea.

Thanks for the information on rabbits in Australia. I don't think I can post a picture of mine on the forum but she is lovely (unless you try to pick her up to take her to the vet - that involves putting on oven gloves!)

Do you have a favourite episode(s) of Peep Show? The ones that stick in my mind are anything involving Super Hans ("I've accidentally run to Windsor"), Mark's wedding, and the episode where Mark tries to learn to drive.

The other programmes I love when I am having my dinner are the BBC comedy Red Dwarf and Family Guy.

Haha YESSSS the "I've accidentally RUN TO WINDSOR" line is quoted often in my house (which really is an impressive feat given that it apparently takes nearly 9 hours to walk from Croydon to Windsor). Mark's Wedding is ABSOLUTELY a contender for favourite episode. I also really love the Christmas one and Mark's Proposal. I don't necessarily have favourite episodes though (too hard to choose), but rather favourite moments. My all time favourite one is in season 1 when Mark leaves a voice message for Sophie while Jez is there. The cherry on the cake of that scene is when he ends the call with "and then I go and spoil it all by saying something stupid like...I like...you...". Their expressions in that scene are so spot on and relatable.

I used to LOVE Red Dwarf when I was a teenager. Because of the shitty little town I grew up in, no one I knew had seen the show and when I'd describe it my friends thought it sounded too silly to be any good. I haven't seen it in years, but I did watch the revival of it in the 2010's was it? And didn't like it much. I do want to watch it all again to see if I still enjoy it though. I used to love Family Guy but I find it a bit too abrasive and offensive to enjoy it now. It used to feel like satire, but gradually became more mean spirited and edgelordy as it went on imo. Granted, I haven't seen it for about 10 years so maybe it got better?

_redbird_

Member

Registered: 22-04-16

Posts: 387

Re: Outdoor Filming - Spiders, Crocodiles etc. (Hopefully funny!)

funny conversation
As a Spanish native, it is difficult for me to understand the dangers of going out into the countryside that, apparently, they suffer there in Australia.
I also suppose that with the extension of the country, and its diverse ecosystems, the risks will not be the same everywhere. The north will not be the same as the south, the center as the coasts.
In my country the most dangerous thing is to go out into the field, kick a stone and be stung by a scorpion, which on the other hand is not fatal. And in case anyone is wondering: no, fighting bulls (fighting bulls) do not run loose in our fields, hahahahaha. They are well collected in what we call here "dehesas".
One of the few possibilities that one of these magnificent animals will gore you is to participate in the “San Fermines de Pamplona”.
Much easier to get bitten by a dog or scratched by a cat.
Wild boars deserve special mention, which as of 2020, with the confinement of people to their homes, and their high reproduction rate, are now seen quite frequently on the outskirts of cities near forests.
I suppose you must be used to it, but it would be difficult for me to see some kangaroos in the wild and not try to get close to photographing them. In case I visit your fantastic country, I take note of your recommendation.

Greetings from old Europe.

You are absolutely correct in terms of Australia being so big and having so many different climates and terrain, and therefore lots of different animals and conditions to look out for. Victoria and Tasmania probably have it the easiest in terms of dangerous animals (Tasmania actually only has 3 kinds of venomous snakes) because it's too close to Antarctica to have all the jellies and crocs and other things that love the hot muggy weather of the northern parts of Australia.

Ooh we also have scorpions and wild boars here! The first horror movie I ever saw as a kid was "Razorback" which if you haven't seen it is an Australian film about a giant wild boar that terrorises people. The next time we went camping after I saw it I was absolutely terrified because I thought that the movie was an accurate depiction and that wild boars were roughly the size of VW Beetles (incidentally where we were camping didn't even have ANY wild pigs, let alone giant ones).

Have they implemented a system over there to get rid of the wild boars since their growth in 2020? I know that they're incredibly destructive to the eco system. Here we have people do cullings from helicopters mainly because they're so out of control. My sister is a marine biologist in far north Queensland and the pigs are a massive problem for the poor turtles that come to lay their eggs in the same place every year.

I fully understand you on wanting to get a closer look at kangaroos. They're undeniably cute. In the wild they're MOSTLY quite shy, but occasionally (like what Richard described) you'll get a more bold one that will test the waters with you. Wallabies are even shyer than kangaroos, so if you ever get close to a wallaby you should feel very fortunate. Baby kangaroos (joeys) are incredibly affectionate and tend to imprint onto a human quite quickly if they're an orphan. When I was 8 there was a joey that the owners of the venue had been fostering, and during the reception to my Mum's wedding it very confidently hopped over to me when I was trying to find the toilet and it happily accepted pats and scritches. It fell asleep in my lap and I completely missed all three courses and could only FINALLY tear myself away for some cake. It was very difficult to not attempt to take the joey home with me. It was too sweet for words.

johnoneill2023

Member

Registered: 05-02-23

Posts: 10

Re: Outdoor Filming - Spiders, Crocodiles etc. (Hopefully funny!)

Haha YESSSS the "I've accidentally RUN TO WINDSOR" line is quoted often in my house (which really is an impressive feat given that it apparently takes nearly 9 hours to walk from Croydon to Windsor). Mark's Wedding is ABSOLUTELY a contender for favourite episode. I also really love the Christmas one and Mark's Proposal. I don't necessarily have favourite episodes though (too hard to choose), but rather favourite moments. My all time favourite one is in season 1 when Mark leaves a voice message for Sophie while Jez is there. The cherry on the cake of that scene is when he ends the call with "and then I go and spoil it all by saying something stupid like...I like...you...". Their expressions in that scene are so spot on and relatable.

I used to LOVE Red Dwarf when I was a teenager. Because of the shitty little town I grew up in, no one I knew had seen the show and when I'd describe it my friends thought it sounded too silly to be any good. I haven't seen it in years, but I did watch the revival of it in the 2010's was it? And didn't like it much. I do want to watch it all again to see if I still enjoy it though. I used to love Family Guy but I find it a bit too abrasive and offensive to enjoy it now. It used to feel like satire, but gradually became more mean spirited and edgelordy as it went on imo. Granted, I haven't seen it for about 10 years so maybe it got better?

The Christmas episode is superb - I love it when Mark has the major meltdown when he thinks that Jeremy hasn't bought the turkey.

I remember the scene you mention from series one - it was so cringeworthy!

Red Dwarf for me hit its peak around series 5 and 6 - when Rimmer keeps getting the Space Core directives wrong. I also loved the episode "Back to Reality" where they think everything up until that point has just been a computer game (in which they only scored about 4%). I didn't like series 8 (the one where they are back on Red Dwarf in prison, with the crew having been resurrected). Series 10 to 12 (which a TV channel called "Dave" in the UK commissioned rather than the BBC) had a few funny moments, but it wasn't as good. I did enjoy the nostalgia though in the final episode of Series 12 when the original Holly popped up again with his: "Alright Dudes!"

When I was at Southampton University I shared a student house with seven other people and one bloke was just like Arnold Rimmer. It was as painful as you can imagine!

I know what you mean about Family Guy - sometimes it can be unnecessarily vicious. There are still new episodes that make me laugh though. They've toned down Quagmire a bit since you last watched in my view - he is becoming more of a pedantic person who like to enforce rules and less obsessed with sex.

In terms of satire - the two greatest and most incredibly intelligent people we had in the UK (sadly both have now passed away) were John Bird and John Fortune. Some of their work is still on YouTube and remains very funny. It was always based around a TV interview where one of the John's played a senior person (e.g. a Government Minister) who was completely incompetent (always called "George Parr") and the other interviewed them. The sketches were always incredibly well researched and fantastically written. They predicted the 2008 Credit Crunch well before anyone else was talking about it!

MS2020

Member

Registered: 06-11-20

Posts: 194

Re: Outdoor Filming - Spiders, Crocodiles etc. (Hopefully funny!)

I fully understand you on wanting to get a closer look at kangaroos. They're undeniably cute. In the wild they're MOSTLY quite shy, but occasionally (like what Richard described) you'll get a more bold one that will test the waters with you. Wallabies are even shyer than kangaroos, so if you ever get close to a wallaby you should feel very fortunate. Baby kangaroos (joeys) are incredibly affectionate and tend to imprint onto a human quite quickly if they're an orphan. When I was 8 there was a joey that the owners of the venue had been fostering, and during the reception to my Mum's wedding it very confidently hopped over to me when I was trying to find the toilet and it happily accepted pats and scritches. It fell asleep in my lap and I completely missed all three courses and could only FINALLY tear myself away for some cake. It was very difficult to not attempt to take the joey home with me. It was too sweet for words.

Reading that story reminded me a little of Dot and the Kangaroo. Maybe I'm showing my age, but despite never visiting the land down under I got a pretty good education of Australian animals from various Dot movies growing up. Admittedly there may have been more artistic license with biology and culture that I wasn't aware of, but really how much realize do you expect when the girl can talk to animals.

_redbird_

Member

Registered: 22-04-16

Posts: 387

Re: Outdoor Filming - Spiders, Crocodiles etc. (Hopefully funny!)

I fully understand you on wanting to get a closer look at kangaroos. They're undeniably cute. In the wild they're MOSTLY quite shy, but occasionally (like what Richard described) you'll get a more bold one that will test the waters with you. Wallabies are even shyer than kangaroos, so if you ever get close to a wallaby you should feel very fortunate. Baby kangaroos (joeys) are incredibly affectionate and tend to imprint onto a human quite quickly if they're an orphan. When I was 8 there was a joey that the owners of the venue had been fostering, and during the reception to my Mum's wedding it very confidently hopped over to me when I was trying to find the toilet and it happily accepted pats and scritches. It fell asleep in my lap and I completely missed all three courses and could only FINALLY tear myself away for some cake. It was very difficult to not attempt to take the joey home with me. It was too sweet for words.

Reading that story reminded me a little of Dot and the Kangaroo. Maybe I'm showing my age, but despite never visiting the land down under I got a pretty good education of Australian animals from various Dot movies growing up. Admittedly there may have been more artistic license with biology and culture that I wasn't aware of, but really how much realize do you expect when the girl can talk to animals.

Ahhhhh I used to LOVE Dot and the Kangaroo! When I was little, I was obsessed with the name "Dorothy" and "Dot" and used to ask my family to call me Dot because of that movie (and also Return to OZ). I don't think I've seen that movie since I was about 4 or 5 (so 1988-89). From memory the movie was a mixture of live action and cartoon yeah?

MS2020

Member

Registered: 06-11-20

Posts: 194

Re: Outdoor Filming - Spiders, Crocodiles etc. (Hopefully funny!)

Reading that story reminded me a little of Dot and the Kangaroo. Maybe I'm showing my age, but despite never visiting the land down under I got a pretty good education of Australian animals from various Dot movies growing up. Admittedly there may have been more artistic license with biology and culture that I wasn't aware of, but really how much realize do you expect when the girl can talk to animals.

Ahhhhh I used to LOVE Dot and the Kangaroo! When I was little, I was obsessed with the name "Dorothy" and "Dot" and used to ask my family to call me Dot because of that movie (and also Return to OZ). I don't think I've seen that movie since I was about 4 or 5 (so 1988-89). From memory the movie was a mixture of live action and cartoon yeah?

That's right. My we're not as far is in years as I originally imagined. I was have been about 5 or 6 at that time. Though I honestly can't remember if I saw that movie as a child. I did see most of the sequels. All of them used combination of live action and cartoon to deal with the same themes of human conflicts with animals. They also made have started that whole notion you could somehow ride in a kangaroos pouch. Which I'm sure only The Simpsons demonstrated would be unpleasantly close to standing in a birth canal. 

I later learned Dot and the Kangaroo was based on a book by Ethel Pedley published posthumously in 1899. She was an early Australian conversation advocate. The film version was directed in 1977 by Yoram Gross. A polish Jew who fled his home country during WWII and worked on documentaries in Israel before moving with his family to Australia to establish his own studio. Along with all the Dot movies he also worked on Blinky Bill.

What I probably saw first was Dot and the Bunny which turned out to be kind of prequel. reusing a lot of the same footage and plot points while focusing on an orphaned rabbit who'd rather be a joey. The only one I didn't see was eight and final, Dot in Space. Which is not surprising since I wasn't made until 1994 and unlike the others wasn't released beyond the home country for some reason.

Though the one I found the most curious was Dot and Koala. Dot doesn't show up until about half way through and for the first time in series plays a more pro-active role. The strange part was the usual humans versus animals plot instead had animals wearing clothes in a small trying to build a dam that animals of the forest (or what I now know was called the bush) fought to oppose. For the longest time I wondered they just make the bad guys humans like the rest. They rewatching it I noticed something interesting. All of town animals were domesticated species: (pigs, goats, cats, donkeys etc) All the wild ones were marsupials, monotreme's or native species like cockatoos or snakes. Which leads me to suspect that they were going for some kind of fantastical racism theme along with he environment. What seems to support my theory is that the standoff over the dam proposal has some cat wearing a shirt saying Marsupials Stink and at one point someone calls the outside protests "savages and primitives." It's funny the things you miss as a kid. 

I found these and all other Dot movies are currently available free on YouTube.

Last edited by MS2020 (21-06-23 03:29:28)

_redbird_

Member

Registered: 22-04-16

Posts: 387

Re: Outdoor Filming - Spiders, Crocodiles etc. (Hopefully funny!)

Though the one I found the most curious was Dot and Koala. Dot doesn't show up until about half way through and for the first time in series plays a more pro-active role. The strange part was the usual humans versus animals plot instead had animals wearing clothes in a small trying to build a dam that animals of the forest (or what I now know was called the bush) fought to oppose. For the longest time I wondered they just make the bad guys humans like the rest. They rewatching it I noticed something interesting. All of town animals were domesticated species: (pigs, goats, cats, donkeys etc) All the wild ones were marsupials, monotreme's or native species like cockatoos or snakes. Which leads me to suspect that they were going for some kind of fantastical racism theme along with he environment. What seems to support my theory is that the standoff over the dam proposal has some cat wearing a shirt saying Marsupials Stink and at one point someone calls the outside protests "savages and primitives." It's funny the things you miss as a kid. 

I found these and all other Dot movies are currently available free on YouTube.

Ooh after you've described it, I feel like maybe I have seen Dot and Koala then because it sounds very familiar (especially the Marsupials Stink t-shirt part). Having domesticated animals as the antagonists makes sense because introduced species have absolutely destroyed entire areas and wiped out (or at least greatly reduced) species all over the place. It was of course stupid humans who brought them here, but I get why they might have wanted to change things up a bit within the series.

I'm sure the messaging in Dot and the Kangaroo would've gone waaaaaay over my head as a kid, but I'll definitely check them out again soon. Thanks for the info and tip!