The spiders here are fascinating and scary. Some of the most poisonous spiders in the world live in the area, though I have not seen them (except at the wildlife exhibit in Sydney). My first encounter involved the common huntsman (pictured). It looks far scarier than it really is. Huntsman spiders are shy, and can move quite fast. They don't bite except as a last resort in a life-or-death situation, and the bite is not poisonous. I didn't know this before killing this one that showed up in the apartment one day. The size of this thing put me in "kill first, ask questions later" mode.
Another common spider here is the St. Andrews Cross spider, which makes large webs in brushland and gardens to trap insects. Like the huntsman, this one looks scarier than it really is.
Black house spiders are somewhat common, creating messy webs around windows. These spiders are not lethal, but their bite can sometimes cause nausea and other discomforts.
The truly dangerous spiders are the funnel webs, red backs, and mouse spiders. I've yet to see any of these in the wild. The wildlife exhibit in Sydney did have a funnel web in a glass cage, but it's not the same as seeing one in its natural habitat. The red backs are relatives of the black widows, and often live under houses, scrap wood piles, or other out-of-the-way, shaded areas. Red backs are most lethal to the young and the elderly. The mouse spiders look scariest of all. Again, I have yet to encounter any of these, but the general rule applies -- leave them alone and they will leave you alone.
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