The Doom That Came to Our Letterbox
New Zealand is not known for its large and fiercely venomous arthropods. At least, not compared to other parts of the world, where ever other trip to the toilet entails a grisly death at the fangs of one or other of these buggers.
OK, there are large Kiwi insects, and also poisonous Kiwi spiders.
But the beast that dwells in our letterbox is neither of these, and therefore scientifically harmless despite having eyes as big as dinner plates and fangs to match.
I think it's a female Nursery Web Spider of some description, which bites rarely, but when I venture into Shelob's Lair of a morning to collect the post, I like to take a big stick with me...