4 hours ago Flora Drury BBC News Reporting from London Getty Images The kangaroo is suspected to have been trapped by rising waters (stock image) A "really muscly" kangaroo "tried to drown" a man in Australia, after the two got into a punch-up. Don James is said to have found himself fighting for his life as the marsupial held him down in floodwaters which had pooled on the side of the road near Port Macquarie - only escaping after the animal appeared to become spooked. Kristy Lees, who watched the battle unfold in her rear-view mirror, told the BBC: "It's not everyday a big, male kangaroo decides to take you on... Even in Australia, you do not expect to see it." She suspects the "very distressed" kangaroo had become trapped in the area following the record flooding that hit New South Wales this week, leaving five people dead. Ms Lees was first alerted to the kangaroo's presence as she drove down to check the water levels in Port Macquarie's North Shore with her husband, at about 09:00 local time on Friday (23:00 GMT on Thursday). Two men - one of whom was later identified as Don James by Australian news network ABC - warned them that there was a "really big" kangaroo just around the next parked car. And sure enough, there was the kangaroo - "as big as the car" it was standing next to. The next thing Ms Lees knew, the kangaroo had launched towards her car, which she had slowed to a crawl so as not to startle the animal, and started to attack it. But as he moved round to her side of the car, the kangaroo appeared to spot another target: Mr James, who was still walking away up the road. The kangaroo gave chase. "They literally got into a boxing match," Kristy said. "I'm looking in the rear-view mirror and they are throwing punches." Mr James then ran backwards before tripping and falling into a patch of floodwater by the side of the road. The next thing Kristy knew, the "kangaroo was holding him down". "The kangaroo tried to drown the man," she said. "I realised what was happening and told my husband [who couldn't see the fight from his seat] to get out the car and help." But then the kangaroo appears to have been spooked - perhaps by the approaching car driven by Mr James's friend - allowing him to escape down towards Ms Lees, who has since tried to warn as many neighbours as possible. "The kangaroo was trying to drown me," he told Ms Lees, who was able to say she had seen it all. "I just remember being under water and kicking and screaming and carrying on," Mr James later told ABC. It was, he said, "pretty traumatic for a while there". Kangaroos have been known to appear to attempt to drown their foes - although these are usually animals the size of dogs. Kangaroo ecologist Graeme Coulson, from the University of Melbourne, revealed to ABC that his neighbour had lost two dogs that way. "There's a very strong instinct - kangaroos will go to water if they're threatened by a predator," he told the news network. However, he said, the behaviour is likely more about protecting themselves than drowning their foe. That is unlikely to make Mr James feel any better about Friday morning's altercation - especially as he told Ms Lees that just 12 months ago he had fended off another attack, that time by a great white shark. "I feel like they're trying to kill me, all these animals," he reportedly said.
So i assume this Kangaroo is running for office. Seeing that he would fit right in with the current cast of Australian politicians.
One hears of Port Macquarie abroad as a place where weird things happen.. Tasmania is way worse but still: I just asked DeepSeek: Here’s a list of strange and unexplained occurrences near **Port Macquarie, Australia**—a mix of documented events, local legends, and bizarre phenomena: ### **1. The "Hastings River Monster"** - **What:** Locals have reported sightings of a **large, eel-like creature** in the Hastings River, described as **10–15 feet long** with dark, scaly skin. - **Possible Explanations:** Giant conger eel, misidentified bull shark, or pure folklore. ### **2. The Disappearing Lighthouse Ghost** - **Where:** **Tacking Point Lighthouse** (built in 1879). - **Reports:** Visitors claim to see a **shadowy figure** (possibly a former keeper) on the stairs, only for it to vanish when approached. ### **3. The "Sea Foam Apocalypse" (2007 & 2020)** - **What:** Thick, **suffocating sea foam** engulfed beaches and streets, trapping cars and baffling scientists. - **Cause:** Unusual algal blooms + storm turbulence, but the **scale was unprecedented**. ### **4. The Mystery of Lake Cathie’s "Sinkhole of Doom"** - **What:** A **massive sinkhole** suddenly opened near Lake Cathie in 2015, swallowing trees and part of a walking trail. - **Theories:** Underground water erosion or **collapsed limestone caves**. ### **5. The Port Macquarie UFO Flap (1990s)** - **Reports:** Multiple witnesses (including police) described **orange orbs** hovering silently over the coast before shooting upward at impossible speeds. - **Official Response:** "Weather balloons" (of course). ### **6. The "Cursed" Shipwreck of the *SS Wauchope*** - **Where:** Near **Point Plomer**. - **Legend:** The 1919 wreck is said to be **haunted by drowned sailors**, with reports of ghostly cries during storms. ### **7. The "Black Panther" Sightings** - **What:** For decades, locals have reported a **large black cat** (possibly a panther) stalking bushland. - **Theories:** Escaped circus animal, military experiment, or mass hysteria. ### **8. The "Radioactive" Beach Mystery** - **Where:** **Lighthouse Beach** (1970s). - **Reports:** Geiger counters allegedly spiked near certain rocks—never officially explained. ### **9. The "Ghost Plane" of Crescent Head** - **What:** Pilots and locals have reported seeing a **1940s-era fighter plane** flying low over the coast—despite no records of crashes or flights in the area. ### **10. The "Rainbow Serpent" Cave** - **Where:** Rumored to be in the **Kooloonbung Creek Nature Reserve**. - **Aboriginal Lore:** A sacred cave said to be the resting place of the **Rainbow Serpent**—some claim to hear **hissing or chanting** near its entrance. --- ### **Bonus: The "Port Macquarie Time Slip"** A few locals swear they’ve experienced **brief "time jumps"**—like walking into a shop and finding it’s suddenly 30 minutes later with no memory of the gap. --- Want more details on any of these? Some have **police reports or newspaper archives** backing them up!
Lol. This is why ya gotta love you Aussies. Now me personally, I'd have reached for a tire iron and knocked the sh*t out of that beast. Or a rock. Or something. No way a Yank is losing a fight to a friggin' kangaroo. When all else fails, a fistful of sand into the eye works well too.
Flooding in NSW atm.... https://www.perthnow.com.au/news/se...-they-search-for-higher-ground-ng-b881827751z ‘All the brown you can see is Spiders trying to beat the flood water.’ Credit: Facebook/Matt Lovenfosse Thousands of tiny spiders take over flood water in NSW as they search for higher ground Staff writerPerthNow March 22, 2021 It is the stuff nightmares are made of. Thousands of tiny spiders, floating downstream, as they try to escape rising water levels. And all you can do as is watch — or film — as they slowly float past. That nightmare has become a reality in NSW as flood water continues to inundate the region, forcing the creepy crawlies to find higher ground. Residents across the state have posted a selection of horrifying photos on social media, along with captions that will make your skin crawl. “All the brown you can see is Spiders trying to beat the flood water,” wrote Matt Lovenfosse above a photo of what appears to be thousands of spiders on top of the water near his home in Kinchela Creek. The photo, which was posted early this morning on Facebook, has been shared more than 11,000 times and attracted more than 6000 comments — all of which follow the same theme. “My worst nightmare,” wrote a number of commenters. “F**k that, I’m leaving the country,” commented one person. “Burn it all,” wrote another. A video of the arachnid invasion posted to TikTok shows them clinging to a railing as the flood water rises, and rain continues to fall. “They will climb up your legs to get to shelter as well if you're not careful,” @thehappinesstrail posted. While Melanie Williams, who lives in Macksville, posted photos of hundreds of mini arachnids climbing a fence outside her house. She posted the photos on the Australian spider identification page on Facebook, to see if anyone knew what kind they were. “Got inundated with these little girls and guys with the floods,” she wrote “Anyone know what sort they are? The spiders on a fence outside the home of Melanie Williams who lives in Macksville, NSW. Credit: Melanie Williams/Facebook The spiders on a fence outside the home of Melanie Williams who lives in Macksville, NSW. Credit: Melanie Williams/Facebook Turns out they are wolf spiders — and they brought their egg sacs with them. “Looks like you are nominated for temporary emergency housing by the Wolf spider community,” wrote one apt commenter. “Those egg sacs are just waiting to open up...” posted another. The wolf spiders with their egg sacs. Credit: Melanie Williams/Facebook As confronting as the images are, it is not an uncommon occurrence in a flood. Professor Dieter Hochuli, who leads Sydney University's integrative ecology group, told the ABC the spiders were always there, we just don't usually notice them. "The urgency of getting out of the floods means these ground-dwelling animals have to move,” he said. "Some spiders can survive underwater for a period of time but others can't and those ones are basically trying to move from the ground floor to the penthouse to avoid being flooded out. "They can't fly, so they do what they have to, to escape the water."
That's easy too. No tire iron required. Worried about rain washing it off? Add a few tablespoons of diesel fuel to your sprayer tank. Yeah I know... this sounds appalling... but in the bigger picture of all the petro bs these floods you're experiencing have washed from the roads/parking lots into the storm sewers... a tablespoon of diesel means nothing. And it'll stick the bug poison to that lady's tacky looking fence. The spiders will drop like flies.