Air and food pollution were reasons to flee Beijing after living there for seven years. We also worried about the children being hit by a car as the volume of traffic increased.
In Australia we're still worrying, but about very different things. We've swapped man-made issues for the Mother Nature factor, fretting about crocodiles, sharks and even huge flightless birds called cassowaries, which can be taller than us and run faster. A tourist was badly injured recently after being attacked by dingoes on Fraser Island.
On day one of our three-month stay Down Under, we pulled up in our camper van at a campsite halfway between Darwin and Kakadu National Park. There was a sign alerting visitors to saltwater crocodiles; they can be found in the sea and river estuaries. So despite the heat and enticing cool, blue water, you shouldn't swim in certain areas unless you have a death wish, and should be really careful when fishing.
The campsite manager explained matter-of-factly - as if she was giving us directions to the supermarket - that we should keep three metres from the water's edge as that would give us the chance to outrun the aggressive reptile if it chose to attack.
On a riverboat trip the next day, during which we saw countless crocs, our Aboriginal guide laughed heartily as he told us the creatures were fast runners as well as excellent swimmers. A human should be able to outrun a croc; it's the element of surprise that can turn us into dinner.
Needless to say, when we did take a walk near the river it was hard to relax despite the beautiful surroundings. Five-year-old Tilly, binoculars glued to her eyes, kept asking when we would see a crocodile. I already felt as if I'd seen enough of them for a lifetime, a feeling reinforced when we were told that a fisherman had his head ripped off by a crocodile a few years ago.