After the British fellow admitted to having been scared by the deadly redback spider, I couldn't help but whip out the other favorite Aussie fable.

"Have you heard about the drop bears?"  I asked. "Oh, now there's another terrible bush peril. You know those fuzzy things that look like little bears?"

"Koalas," he said.

"Whatever. They live in trees and eat nothing but certain types of eucalyptus leaves." 

He nodded; this was common knowledge.

"Well," I said, "if it eats the wrong leaf it gets all woozy and drunk. And sometimes the bear looses its grip and falls. Those drop bears may be small but they're muscular and heavy. Every year some poor, unfortunate tourist walks under a tree just as the bear tumbles down, is struck on the head and dies. Wise hikers always look up before passing under a tree out bush."

His laughter faded as I nodded sagely. For all I know, he still searches the trees for those elusive yet deadly drop bears.