Verified answer

This question often gets asked in the Travel Australia category and most people respond by saying that they hardly ever see spiders. That's true to a degree; if you don't look for them you mostly don't see them, they just go about their business without disturbing us humans. I grew up next to bushland in Sydney and we regularly saw funnelwebs. We used to run feral in the bush poking around in webs, under rocks and burrows in the ground. None of us ever came close to being bitten. My mother accidentally picked up a few funnelwebs thinking they were black fluff; we'd see them in our swimming pool (they live with an air bubble for a couple of days) and rescue them. No bites.

Now I live in Melbourne. I have quite a bushy garden which is home to many spiders. A lot live in the house too. I like them. They eat other spiders, flies and mosquitoes. I leave them to their own devices unless they are in the way or in danger, when I catch them and relocate them. Mostly I don't form an emotional attachment with them. However, there is one that is now in its third year living on my office windowsill http://www.flickr.com/photos/43989342@N05/66176881... She has positioned herself perfectly to catch blowflies that seem magnetically attracted to her corner of the window. It's a bit tricky in summer as I'm not able to open the window!

I too used to be an arachnophobe, until I got sick of being scared of them and consciously decided to embrace them (not literally!). I became fascinated by them and really enjoy having them around.

So I would answer your questions thus:

- no, Australian spiders are not intimidating, but can be quite large

- Yes, you will encounter them at my house but most other people say they rarely see them

- even large huntsman spiders can slip through tiny gaps so there's not much you can do to block them out of your home. I suppose you could get your home nuked by a pest exterminator on a regular basis, but that has its drawbacks too.

Anyway, Australia is full of supposedly dangerous creatures and yet our population continues to increase and thrive.

Hmmm...very exciting. I stay in Colorado so i won't be able to answer the question. i'm commenting because of the fact i'm making plans a 2 3 hundred and sixty 5 days flow to Australia (or New Zealand, I definitely have yet to choose) for grad college and have been surfing questions concerning the international locations. I only could desire to declare: how are you able to be appalled that somebody could say there are dish sized spiders, yet that they seem to be a petty palm length or small part dish length??!! they are not the size of a dinner plate, basically a part salad plate. Oh maximum suitable, that makes me sense greater effective!! i've got by no skill seen a spider greater than a marble and the biggest of them have been extensive to me. and that i've got lived in Oregon, Washington, Maine, Illinois, and now Colorado...all places with a lot of spiders. i'm scared.

Most of the ones we get in our homes are small, however if you let them do their thing (as I do) then you get white tailed spiders which are predators which feed on other spiders. Again these are small, but they are dangerous. You get the odd large one inside but mostly they aren't harmful. If you live in a leafy suburb you'll encounter many spiders outside. The deadly funnel web is rarely seen (only found in a few areas). I lived for the first 30 years of my life in areas they are found and only saw one. The really big tarantulas (called bird eating spiders) are only found in rainforest. If you study at the good unis in Melbourne, sydney or canberra you will see lots of spiders but they are nothing to fear. I used to be arachnaphobic and got over it being a field biologist.

I doubt you will see any more or different spiders than you do now. If you move into an older residence, the only spider that may give you a bit of a start, would be a harmless huntsman.

The black house spider that Sheila profiled, is as harmless as they come,and you may even come to welcome them. they just stay to themselves and eat bugs.

The best 'precaution' I can suggest, is to just ignore them. They certainly will pose no threat to you.

Unless you go hiking in the wilderness and hunt for spiders, I doubt you will ever see funnel webs or tarantulas.

Ruud shows the huntsman better than I can describe, and most folks deal with house spiders as such.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCO56iyBXtU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kqvHOTObvk

Yes there are spiders the size of your palm called 'Bird eating spiders.' Spiders can also get into yor shoes, so always check them before you put them on.