Andrew Crowe’s Life-Size Guide to Insects says they are “Common in forest and gardens, especially in firewood. Can bite. Hide during the day in holes in trees.”
The story of John and Sarah's travel in their motorhome
Traveling and exploring New Zealand
Fiona & Chris, two empty nesters put their dreams of doing something different into reality... Now back in a house, they were living in their Motorhome, come along for the ride.
Suzanne's Life and Travel Musings from New Zealand and Beyond
A close up look at nature's treasures
Adventures in Aotearoa in a tiny camper
Short Stories
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Dream on Farm 
Yup. They bite, and it hurts.
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Ow! Sounds like you speak from experience. I try to give anything that looks so fearsome a wide berth but we’re quite close neighbours and they seem to like me more than I like them.
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Me too, thought not always successfully 🙂
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I found one of these on the beach on Rotoroa Island once, being attacked by a dotterel. Both were clearly out of their comfort zone. The dotterel scarpered when it saw me approach and I carefully lifted the tree weta (which seemed none the worse for wear) back to an overhanging tree without using my hands…easier said than done! 😄
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Clash of the titans, lol. I’ll bet you did it elegantly though. 🙂
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Not sure elegantly would fit any of what I do…gingerly perhaps? 😄 I valued my fingers…
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I’ve done it myself with total absence of cool and hope no one was watching.
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Those little critters lived in a large grapefruit tree in Haig Street, Whakatane where we also lived. Great things to scare unexpecting younger siblings and me!
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I know a mean big brother who enjoyed terrifying his sisters with them too. We had a colony living in a flax bush. I’ve learnt not to be so afraid of them but I won’t pick one up. I’ve been bitten by too many bugs, usually trying to rescue them from cats and dogs, behind windows or out of the bath. Ungrateful critters.
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Laughed at you calling them ungrateful 🙂 They are! My philosophy is that they have a job to do, all those little critters, so I leave them to it, outside of course.
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Smart girl after my own heart. 🙂 I once had one drop out of a tree onto my bare leg when I was lounging in the shade. Nearly dropped dead with fright.
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🙂 🙂
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