My worst nightmare! And just when everything was going so well....

Another gorgeous day at the beach!  We arrive back at the apartment sandy, soggy, exhausted but happy - everything is going so well.  I haven't got lost yet, I've made it into the City and opened a bank account, we've spend another glorious day on the beach having fun - this moving across the world thing is really not so bad!!!!  

I had honestly completely forgotten about some of the bad things until I was unpacking the car this afternoon.  I got Josh out first and sent him down the garden path and then opened up the other door and got to Hollie (which takes a while as she HAS to do her own seat belt now).  I popped her on the floor and turned back to get the beach bag and there it was.........................right on the inside of the car door just glaring at me.......................OMFG it was a tarantula I swear!!!  It was the biggest, fattest, furriest spider I have EVER seen in my life and about the size of my hand (without the fingers).  I'm pretty sure it's legs were as fat as my fingers!!

I just froze with fear which then very quickly turned into panic!! I have only ever seen these awful things behing glass in pet shops (for those crazy people that actually want them as pets) or in those horrible spider and snake exhibition rooms you get in zoo's and farms!  I HATE just walking past them and I've always had a fear that the glass might break and one could get to me!!  And here I was - face to face with one  and not only that but it was IN THE CAR!!!

I screamed at the kids to stay away (Josh was already trying to come and see what was causing Nanny Mummy to just about go hysterical).  Now what to do????  I txt Pete "emergency, you have to leave work now??"  No response!!  "Bloody typically - what a time to be on a conference call".  There was absolutely NO one else to call (Grandpa, I needed you!!) so I had no choice but to knock on people's doors until someone could help me.  I did think I could just push the car door shut to trap it - that would get it away from me, but then we'd never be able to use the car again (I would have to send it back to the rental shop and order a new one).

Next move, I knocked on a neighbours door and hoped for the best.  (He must have thought I was some kind of lunatic as I stood there trembling and close to tears, explaining that there was a killer spider in my car and I needed help!)  He was a young lad (about 18ish and quick cute) and he very politely obliged.  When he got to the car his exact words were "Wow, that's a beauty"!!  I told you - killer spider!!  He told me to wait out of the way (I was already on the other side of the road) whilst he grabbed a long stick and tried to push it to the floor.  It was not happy to be moved though and every time it wriggled - I screamed again (couldn't help it).  Eventually it fell to the foor and ran under the car (or so the neighbour told me).  He then walked back to his house chuckling to himself.........(the situation had clearly amused him).

I have been well and truly traumatised by the experience!!  I was jumpy for hours afterwards and when Pete finally got home, I made him check the whole car before I'd get in it again!!

I have checked my book on Australian Spiders (kindly given to me as a leaving present by a friend) and this is the description "TITAN OF SPIDERS!  On of the group of barking spiders includes the enormous bird eating spiders.  These are the largest of all Australian spiders: One Australian member is about 6 cm in body length: it's legs span about 16cm - wider than a page in this book.  It's fangs along measure 1cm in length.

For your interest

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-8755263635126558005#

No photos I'm afraid, I was too traumatised to even get the camera!

Anyone want to come and visit??????