Thanks for the laugh ! The amount of deaths caused by snakes, spiders, kangaroos etc is microscopic. You'd be more likely to win the lottery than to succumb to any harm. That being said, you need to understand the ground rules and look where you're walking. As for the kangaroos, they are an iconic animal that has the capacity to put humans in their place if the need arises. It's all about respect and awareness. Personally I can't stand certain spiders and snakes and am used to avoiding their space and habitat where possible. I've seen Americans being asked about what they knew about Australia and they universally talk about these things. Some are genuinely so frightened they wouldn't even consider travelling here, which is sad (for them). My advice is, ignore the hype and observe the minor safety practices and you'd be more than OK down here. Oh, the other observation was that it's too far away - bah. When I was travelling to Berlin frequently for work, it took me 44 hours door to door, via 4 flights.and a 100 km drive. Australians are used to long distances, being such a large continent/country.
W xx