Australia and Oceania Warning or Danger Tips by Kate-Me

If you want to take a photo of an Aborigine, it is most important that you ask their permission first, because some hold the belief that if you take their photo, you steal their soul.
Bearing this in mind, you can see how they might get very upset......

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This tip is especially pertinent in the Northern Territory.
For your own safety, don't swim in rivers, rock pools, dams and billabongs (water holes)....even if some might be blase about it and say it 'should be ok'. There have been a couple of tourist tragedies quite recently where this occurred. Tourists get hot and desperate for a swim.... but you'd be better off finding a hotel swimming pool even though it's so much less picturesque than a waterfall. It's not worth the risk.
My aunt (who after 30 years in the outback should surely know) will not even stand with her back to a water hole, for she well knows just how fast crocs can be.

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Especially in the outback, you need to keep a bit of a watch out for snakes. I'd say keep an even better watch out for creepy crawlies, as they're much less easily seen, and could crawl into your shoes or clothes and not be noticed.
Australia has many dangerous snakes and spiders, the latter including the huge black Funnel Web (Sydney area rather than outback but it may be more widespread), and quite small White Tailed spider and tinier red back, just to name a few of the most common. Don't be alarmed though - maybe just get into the habit of shaking your shoes before you put them on, for peace of mind.

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When it starts to rain hard out in the desert, I've seen firsthand that in only a matter of minutes, the red sand/dirt can turn to almost impassable mud before too long.

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The red back spider is one of Australia's deadliest spiders.
Fortunately, it is quite small, and not that often seen, mostly outdoors in wood or old pipes, or in old outdoor toilets (prompting the old Aussie song 'Redback on the toilet seat').
I've never seen one venture inside.
They are rather tiny (just a few mms) but you can still easily identify them, by the red spot on their back.

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