And like all Australian animals, the ticks are very tough. Not only did the tick who produced this nice little rash nearly refuse to be pulled off, but doing so also produced a pain similar to that of being stabbed with a broom handle. But after a few hours I experienced no loss of vision, numbness in any limbs, or trouble breathing, so I think I managed to avoid becoming a news story. The ranger at Royal National Park, where we had otherwise taken a very lovely hike, seemed less than worried.
In fact, the tick bite has now reduced to a tiny red welt, while the sunburn on the one uncovered portion of my neck has become so clear that it looks like lobster bib (in a lovely shade of lobster red). But I think the hike we took today was well worth the risks. Through some beautiful, even if tick filled, bushland we came to a gorgeous coastal cliff from which we watched massive schools of fish swim around in the waves, and whales break through the clear blue ocean in the distance. Hey, no pain no gain, right?
