For those that fear coming to Australia!

[billbedford]

Obviously, in the same way rabbits are venomous.  

Edited August 12, 2023 by billbedford

[monkeysarefun]

48 minutes ago, billbedford said:

Obviously, in the same way rabbits are venomous.  

Three  of the four most  venomous rabbit species are native to Australia. 

[JZ]

12 minutes ago, monkeysarefun said:

Three  of the four most  venomous rabbit species are native to Australia. 

I read that 20 or 21 of the 25 most venomous snakes are from Australia, including the top 11. Can't find a photo I took of the sign at a campsite, but it was at Wanda Wandong camp ground.

[monkeysarefun]

Speaking of  Australian signs...

 

 

[kevinlms]

3 hours ago, billbedford said:

Obviously, in the same way rabbits are venomous.  

Rabbits are a severe pest for totally other reasons. Like lots of other introduced animals and many more plants.

[kevinlms]

Australia's last penalty at the WWC. How happy would you be?

 

Similar happened to me, but before the kick started, the picture locked up and by the time I restarted the celebrations were in place!

 

 

[ikks]

17 hours ago, billbedford said:

 

<sigh>

Edible field mushrooms are one of the most accessible fungi to recognise. There are the only ones with pink or, later, black gills—anything with white gills you have to be very careful of. 

 

Garbage........please be careful!!!

[PhilJ W]

There are only two mushrooms that I would eat from the wild. Those are the giant puffball and the shaggy inkcap. Mainly because they can't be confused with any other fungi. Both are edible but the giant puffball is the only one worth eating. 

[billbedford]

17 hours ago, ikks said:

Garbage........please be careful!!!

 

Wait... Are you saying that people should not be careful of white-gilled mushrooms?

 

Distinguishing between fungi that are good to eat, not good to eat and those that are dangerous is not bleeding rocket science. Though I suspect that it's most;y Townies that believe it is. 

[billbedford]

13 hours ago, PhilJ W said:

There are only two mushrooms that I would eat from the wild. Those are the giant puffball and the shaggy inkcap. Mainly because they can't be confused with any other fungi. Both are edible but the giant puffball is the only one worth eating. 

 

To that, I would add Chanterelles, which are yellow trumpets but only grow in pine woods, and Boletus, especially Penny Buns, which don't have gills but a spongy mass to hold the developing spores. These grow in deciduous woodland. 

Edited August 13, 2023 by billbedford

[St Enodoc]

27 minutes ago, billbedford said:

 

Wait... Are you saying that people should not be careful of white-gilled mushrooms?

 

Distinguishing between fungi that are good to eat, not good to eat and those that are dangerous is not bleeding rocket science. Though I suspect that it's most;y Townies that believe it is. 

We are talking about bushies in Australia, not Townies in the UK.

[kevinlms]

1 hour ago, St Enodoc said:

We are talking about bushies in Australia, not Townies in the UK.

Indeed the title of this thread, is about Australia and the recent posts, about a very suspicious meal of mushrooms served up, allegedly not eaten by the cook or her son!

[St Enodoc]

3 minutes ago, kevinlms said:

Indeed the title of this thread, is about Australia and the recent posts, about a very suspicious meal of mushrooms served up, allegedly not eaten by the cook or her son!

...and, for the benefit of the wider readership here, resulting in three deaths and one critically ill needing a liver transplant, so no laughing matter.

[PaulCheffus]

7 hours ago, billbedford said:

Distinguishing between fungi that are good to eat, not good to eat and those that are dangerous is not bleeding rocket science. Though I suspect that it's most;y Townies that believe it is. 

Hi

 

I am not a Townie and I wouldn’t go picking any wild mushrooms as I wouldn’t have a clue whether they were safe or not. We have some mushrooms in our back garden which look like field mushrooms but I’m not about to go and pick them to cook.

 

Cheers

 

Paul

[DavidB-AU]

Still under investigation but the woman who cooked the meal said the mushrooms were bought at a supermarket and she also ended up in hospital. 

 

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-08-14/mushroom-poisoning-leongatha-erin-patterson-police-statement/102725876

[ikks]

On 14/08/2023 at 02:53, PaulCheffus said:

Hi

 

I am not a Townie and I wouldn’t go picking any wild mushrooms as I wouldn’t have a clue whether they were safe or not. We have some mushrooms in our back garden which look like field mushrooms but I’m not about to go and pick them to cook.

 

Cheers

 

Paul

Same here, lots of "mushrooms" on our property but we always "pick" them at the supermarket...........haven't died yet despite her claims!!

Mike

Edited August 15, 2023 by ikks

[kevinlms]

By the time you've read and understood the sign - your time could be up!

 

https://www.drive.com.au/caradvice/what-parking-signs-mean-in-australia/?utm_campaign=syndication&utm_source=smh.com.au&utm_content=article_1&utm_medium=partner

 

Hands up those that can work out when it is a bus zone? Times, day of the week and left or right.

 

At least the right time of day, you get 1 hr parking as a minium.

 

Certainly I parked in the city at a location which became a 'tow away' zone at a particular time. I set the alarm on my phone and came back to my car. The parking officer was ready to fill out the paperwork and a tow truck was waiting in front with his bed down - still had 5 minutes to go. Just as well mobiles keep accurate time! 😇

 

I clearly won that day.

Edited August 20, 2023 by kevinlms
More info and later for typo.

[kevinlms]

Water in South Australia.

 

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-08-20/sa-something-in-the-water/102683128

[Ozexpatriate]

4 hours ago, kevinlms said:

Water in South Australia.

 

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-08-20/sa-something-in-the-water/102683128

That article was a royal PITA to scroll through. It's a "nice" looking presentation but utterly awful to actually digest.

 

I'm glad to hear Oodnadatta finally has decent drinking water. Like many desert places it is an utterly unsustainable place to live with a 'modern' lifestyle. I wasn't impressed with the tone of the article treating the Great Artesian Basin like it was a limitless supply either.

 

The San Joaquin Valley in California (lots of nut farms) is a great example of how to exhaust artesian water.

Quote

Since the 1920s, excessive pumping of groundwater at thousands of wells in California’s San Joaquin Valley has caused land in sections of the valley to subside, or sink, by as much as 28 feet (8.5 meters). 

 

[ikks]

Yikes!!, we see afew of these from time to time but generally about a metre, though.......still able to kill you!!  but I've found that if you make a lot of commotion, the ones I've come across take off as fast as they can away from you. This one was found recently in New South Wales...........Glad I'm in South Australia🤨

Edited August 27, 2023 by ikks

[monkeysarefun]

11 hours ago, ikks said:

Yikes!!, we see afew of these from time to time but generally about a metre, though.......still able to kill you!!  but I've found that if you make a lot of commotion, the ones I've come across take off as fast as they can away from you. This one was found recently in New South Wales...........Glad I'm in South Australia🤨

 

 

 

This is the biggest one in captivity allegedly, at the  Reptile Park in Gosford (yes...NSW!)

 

 

[billbedford]

Sometimes the critters are just plain sneaky.  

 

https://www.livescience.com/health/viruses-infections-disease/australia-womans-brain-invaded-by-parasitic-worm-that-normally-infects-pythons

Edited August 30, 2023 by billbedford

[Gwiwer]

2 hours ago, billbedford said:

Sometimes the critters are just plain sneaky.  

And that includes the critters who are the ATO.  

 

After almost seven years with no financial connection to Australia I was surprised to learn that the Australia Tax Office required me to complete tax returns for all of those years and pay fines for failing to do so on time.

 

Why?

 

I have no Australian income, no banking facilities in Australia and no connection whatsoever beyond two modest superannuation funds which I have neither contributed to nor withdrawn from.  

 

We sold the house.  After renting it out for six-and-a-half years.  The rental was in my wife's name, all the income came into her Australian bank account and was fully declared each year when she completed her tax return.  The house sale attracts Capital Gains Tax but again all the funds went to her account and were fully disclosed with CGT paid.  

 

The ATO begs to differ.  The house was owned in joint names and their opinion is that the tax liability is therefore shared 50:50 for both rental income and CGT.  We beg to differ in that all income has been fully disclosed and tax paid thereon.  We cannot see any way in which additional liability arises short of being over-taxed and - as a kick in the spheroids - being slapped with a fine for each year of "failure to declare taxable income and failure lodge a tax return"  

 

Don't come to Australia.  They will have you by the short and curlies, it seems, long after you have left and have no connection whatsoever with their country.  

[kevinlms]

I'm told that US citizens have it worse. They are expected to fill out tax returns and probably pay tax, even if they have left the US for good. But any income from anywhere outside the US,  could be payable to the IRS, even if you have paid the ATO or other local tax authority.

Only by renouncing American citizenship can you stop it.

[kevinlms]

18 hours ago, Gwiwer said:

And that includes the critters who are the ATO.  

 

After almost seven years with no financial connection to Australia I was surprised to learn that the Australia Tax Office required me to complete tax returns for all of those years and pay fines for failing to do so on time.

 

Why?

 

I have no Australian income, no banking facilities in Australia and no connection whatsoever beyond two modest superannuation funds which I have neither contributed to nor withdrawn from.  

 

We sold the house.  After renting it out for six-and-a-half years.  The rental was in my wife's name, all the income came into her Australian bank account and was fully declared each year when she completed her tax return.  The house sale attracts Capital Gains Tax but again all the funds went to her account and were fully disclosed with CGT paid.  

 

The ATO begs to differ.  The house was owned in joint names and their opinion is that the tax liability is therefore shared 50:50 for both rental income and CGT.  We beg to differ in that all income has been fully disclosed and tax paid thereon.  We cannot see any way in which additional liability arises short of being over-taxed and - as a kick in the spheroids - being slapped with a fine for each year of "failure to declare taxable income and failure lodge a tax return"  

 

Don't come to Australia.  They will have you by the short and curlies, it seems, long after you have left and have no connection whatsoever with their country.  

Your problem was that it was a rental property - by rights income producing (less legitimate expenses).

Mind you, Australia is also the land of an ultra generous Negative Gearing scheme for owners of such properties - almost unique in the world. It costs the government billions PA and nothing apparently is ever going to stop it. Many MP's have several 'investment' properties, so have zero incentive to change the scheme.

 

You really do need proper specific tax advice, especially if you are renting out a property and living overseas.