cancelling my trip to the outback

giant venomous spiders have invaded a small town in queensland:

Scores of eastern tarantulas, which are known as “bird-eating spiders” and can grow larger than the palm of a man’s hand, have begun crawling out from gardens and venturing into public spaces in Bowen, a coastal town about 700 miles northwest of Brisbane.

seriously. this is one of my greatest fears. (spiders, not australia or bad horror films of the 1950s.)