jlizzul29

I'm in the processing of planning a 2 week trip to take place in November 2004.
I'm looking for warm sandy beaches, great snorkeling, other water sports, good restaurants, luxury hotels and a safe environment.
I've started to research australia and have learned that part of the country is plagued by thumbnail size transparant deadly jellyfish in November(????), and the rest of the country isn't that warm at that time of year. Say it isn't so.....
If not australia, does anyone have any other recommendations for me in the south pacific?

Janese

There is NOWHERE in Australia ( with the exception perhaps, and only sometimes, of the Cradle Mountain area in Tasmania ) that isn't warm in November and everywhere else in the South Pacific and Asia Pacific has those jellyfish. However all the dive tours hand out lycra body suites which are really good 'cause you don't then get sunburn!

Sam_Salmon

"everywhere else in the South Pacific and Asia Pacific has those jellyfish. "

Umm....No!
Those nasty critters are unique to Australia only.
They are absent in the South Pacific and SE Asia.

Janese

Sam, do some research, the following is cut and pasted:
It is a good safety precaution according to Dr. Robert Bolland, Marine Biologist professor at University of Maryland?s Asian Pacific Division on Okinawa. As one of Okinawa?s resident academic experts and researchers on marine life, Dr. Bolland recently spoke about some types of potentially hazardous marine life.

He emphasized that while stinging or dangerous marine life can be present anywhere in the world?s oceans, people should still get out and explore the strange wonders of the water. ?The last thing I would want to do is to scare people so that they don?t go out and experience the oceans and beaches around here.?

Like the family at Hamahiga beach found out, the area just below the water?s surface is a common area to run into a toxic marine animal. Because they are at the surface, swimmers and snorkelers are more vulnerable to some types of jellyfish than are divers who spend more time in deeper waters.

There are numerous known species of jellyfish and their hydroid relatives around the world. A few dangerous varieties can be found in the waters of the Indo-Pacific, which includes Okinawa. A couple of the better known, and best avoided, are the Box Jellyfish, the Sea Wasp and the Australian Sea Wasp. The latter one is reported to be one of the world?s most dangerous types, known to have caused at least 50 deaths in Australia over recent decades.

The Pacific Portuguese Man-of-War is probably familiar to many laymen as a toxic jellyfish. Technically, however this one is not a true jellyfish, but rather a type of stinging hydroid in the same class as fire corals, also found in this area. When a jellyfish causes problems for people, it is merely because they have drifted into one as they float and consume their food. Possessing no actual brain, jellyfish disable their prey by use of their stinging cells. In essence, these stinging cells turn themselves inside out to eject miniscule toxic barbs into their prey. As is true with hazardous terrestrial animals, people react in different ways to toxic marine life. As Dr. Bolland put it, ?I might get stung by something and just swear at it, you might get stung by something and go into anaphylactic shock.? The degree of seriousness depends mainly on the body?s reactions to the poisons.

Dr. Bolland also pointed out that another often overlooked hazard of the water is a simple bacterial infection that can result from a cut, scrape or any break in the skin. This is another reason to always take along a first aid kit when swimming, snorkeling or exploring the reefs. The cooler months, between October and May are identified as more dangerous times of the year to encounter jellyfish in tropical and sub-tropical waters. Not all jellyfish are dangerous to humans however. One such type frequently found floating off Okinawa?s coast in droves is the Palauan jellyfish. According to Bolland, these get quite large, up to the size of a volleyball in diameter. Whenever exploring the ocean and the beaches for whatever reason, precautions should be taken and common sense should be applied. The following is a brief checklist of do?s and dont's.

Sam_Salmon

Blah, Blah, Blah, Okinawa, Blah, Blah, Blah.

What the OP asked about was probs in Oz at that time with Stingers of the most noxious variety-you twice have responded with inaccuracies and obfuscations.

OP isn't going to Okinawa-few ever do-and Yes I've seen Man O War here in BC but that's the point-I have seen them.

If I want to get burned by Irukandji and the like I'd go to Oz in November and go for a dip.

Please don't respond with typical Ocker obstinance and denial-you are digging yourself in further and further and embarrassing yourself and your fine country!

jlizzul29-Fiji is a wonderful place to visit-warm friendly people/food that's often ambrosial and all kinds of things to see/do.

Try http://www.infography.com/content/511317541595.html for all kinds of links

sandi

We were in OZ end November and found that water at Bondi in Sydney way too cold for swimming; up north in Palm Cove, with beautifully warm water they have nets off the beach (more for sharks), but no problem if there were any jellyfish. On day we were out on the reef, everyone was in the water and no one had any jellyfish problems.

Don't look for a problem, just be aware. Go and enjoy yourself.

Janese

FROM SAM THE CANADIAN
"Please don't respond with typical Ocker obstinance and denial-you are digging yourself in further and further and embarrassing yourself and your fine country!"
My reply
I don't think that pointing out to you Sam that you may not be the World's expert on everything concerning Marine Biology is doing my country an injustice nor do I feel that I am embarrassing myself because the information concerning these things is easily obtainable from most good Libraries or over the Internet. Showing you one article that showed that these creatures are around Okinawa means ( at least to me) that as that area is about 9,000 miles from Australia it does show that stingers are not just in Australian waters. Nor am I suggesting either that they are only in Australian waters and Japanese waters - but all over the place.
May I point out to YOU that the original poster asked if Australia was right for them. If by suggesting to her that she will get stung by marine life in Australia in November and also suggesting the Fiji is the place to go then you are doing that person a diservice by not stating what is fact but what is your opinion only and not backing it up with any interesting information from which they can make a decision. If I, as an Australian, am asked a question I will answer it in the way that it is, and a way that is expected of me, whether you like it or not. I would not let you suggest that Australia in November is not a country to be in in November because apart from the fact that these jelly fish do not plague the reef areas there is about 1 Million other places to go around Australia that have beaches, warm areas, diving, great snorkling. water sports, good restaurants, luxury hotels and a particularly safe environment without marine creatures other than the GBR - which incidently I had a most enjoyable holiday on this last November and went diving on the reef as well because there are safety aspects in place.
There are many dedicated people on the Australian Fodors site who are only too happy to give jlizzul29 factual information about areas they know well where that person could have a holiday of a lifetime, that is Sam, if you will let them. So please jlizzul29 write and let us know perhaps your age, sex and other interests so that we can best help you in your quest for a wonderful holiday.