Man to spend three weeks living with 300 spiders

An Australian man began a challenge to spend 22 days living with more than 300 deadly spiders in an attempt to raise money for children's charity Variety.

Nick Le Souef, 67, of Melbourne, jumped into an enclosure amid hundreds of spiders including highly-toxic redbacks and startlingly-large huntsman, the Herald Sun reported.

He will live alongside the arachnids for more than 23 hours a day, with just half an hour respite to shower and go to the toilet.

Despite the obvious danger, Le Souef said he was confident he would come out of the adventure unscathed.

The fundraising effort runs until December 5 and is taking place in a shop-front window at Lightning Ridge Opals on Flinders Lane.