I lived in New Zealand for many a year. Pleasant country, nothing poisonous at all but they have an immense thing about twice/three times the size of a cricket, similar appearance called a "weta". There is also a giant weta. I've never seen one but suspect that they could be ridden by a small child.
Anyhow, the weta is (supposedly) harmless, eats smaller bugs (fireflies, etc) and is very slow moving. Once in NZ I was engaged in the activity that you do after you get up and before you have a shower, reached for the book and a weta fell out of the pages. Damn big thing. Gave me a heck of a fright. Had it been any more severe, I was definitely in the right place.
Heard a story once in Waitomo caves (black, glowworms) where the guide mentioned that once with US tourists she had been fine, walking along with the only lamp when a weta dropped off the ceiling (cave roof) and fell onto the head of a US tourist. The scream surprised her so much that she dropped the lamp, plunging the party into darkness. She knew the caves well enough to get them out by touch and feel only.
Wetas are also protected, I believe. They date way back to dinosaur days. Hmmm.
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"This forum has a monopoly on my heart
- I love it here".[This message has been edited by romojo (edited 05-04-2001 @ 12:27 PM).]