Snakes alive

[Des Taff Jenkins]

We had just started working up the Blue Mountains on a new sewer treatment plant, we had just moved into a new house so I thought good time to get some rocks for the rockery fish pond, a mate and I went around with the truck lifting rocks on board, when he picked up this rock and said look at this lot underneath was a nest of small brown snakes, he dropped the rock on top of them. We were there for two years and the number of snakes around there were unbelievable, probably because it had been undisturbed for years. I also built a pumping station up in Black Heath same thing snakes galore.
Rod your story about Bowen reminded me when we were loading sugar there in 1950, after knocking off we used to dive in for a swim until a bloke told us that, one, there were sea snakes there and two, it had been known to have Salties there, saltwater crocs, fair dinkum we never went in again.
Cheers Des

[j.sabourn]

Sea snakes are supposed to be one of the most venomous , but fortuanetley their fangs are set that far back in their head they can’t get into you. Securing a bottom gas pipe line off the west coast was watching the divers on a tv monitor. One wrapped itself round the wrist of a diver with a stilson in his hand, he just shook it off and carried on working. If that had been me I would of been out of the water like a shot- de-compression or no de- compression , would have gambled with the bends, but not a snake that took a fancy to my arm. JS

[Shaun Gander]

One of my old stewardess went to Australia for a year, someone posted a list on her Facebook page about the 100 thinks there that could kill her.

A friend went hiking in Vietnam. Apparently 100 out of 103 of their snakes are venomous. She asked how to identify them her guide said we just kill them all with those odds.

SDG

[happy daze john in oz]

Brown snakes are the deadliest as they will strike numerous times, others only strike once.

But we have a plethora of deadly creatures here in Oz, Snakes, Crocs, Blue Ring Octopus. Very small one but deadly and can kill in very short time from the poison it injects.

Stingers, bit like jelly fish but with long tentacles and they can kill.

Barbed fish with a snout like a sword that once in you it is good night nurse. We lost a great naturalist to one of those a few years ago.

Funnel Web spiders found only in the Sydney region, lovely creatures that get in your shoes so you know nothing until they sting you.

The Kangaroo can kill a man with one kick of it's hind legs, and they can run as well, faster than you can.

But despite all of this we still make you welcome ad you can see all of these wonderful creatures in a zoo here.

We also have a breed of politicians but most are toothless so will do no harm.

[j.sabourn]

You forgot to mention in regards the welcome bit John, that travellers cheques were welcome. Went to a talk last week given by our tourism minister who is trying to elevate the profile of WA . One of the audience told him if he got the price of local air fares down , might solve part of the problem. Cheers JS

[Rodney Mills]

JSW:

Thanks for the info John. I just dumped my worm bucket and plan on strictly fly fishing from now on in. I can't imagine John Wayne wrapping his bandana two inches above a snake bite when he could suck the venom out of some gorgeous Hollywood sheila's thigh. I suppose I have to buy a bandana now. God that's two of my favorite pastimes ruined fishing and


Just kidding, Rodney

[Captain Kong]

When we drove down the Garden Route from Port Elizabeth to Cape Town we were in Knyza Quays and a fellow had a Large Python. so I had it round my shoulder when he asked for volunteers, .
It was around ten feet in length. and then it sjpped around my neck and started to squeeze, it was a very powerful creature and it took all my strength to stop it. Its mouth was in my ear and its breath was warm. I performed well and then took it off, Anne then picked it up and played with it, It was OK with her, she must have had the magic touch.

I have the Photos somewhere, I will post them if I can find them.

[Rodney Mills]

Johno:

Don't forget the cone fish: actually not a fish, but a shell fish shaped like an Ice cream-cone, pretty markings and deadly.

The first rule of diving is don't touch anything. I got stung by a kneeling accidentally on a "crown of thorns" of the starfish family, while baby sitting a Queensland State M.P.. The worst and most stupid diver I've ever had the misfortune to dive with. It was extremally painful too.

Another dive I must have scraped against coral and got a broken skin graze from it. I didn't notice it until the doctor in Bowen hospital found it while shooting me up with antibiotics and painkiller. Yep, "The Lucky Country" sure has more than it's share of nasties.

Rodney

[Keith Tindell]

I went to the Inver Doorn game park, about 2 hr drive out of Capetown, this was about 8 years ago, we had the night at the game park, so we could do an evening game drive, and an early morning game drive. On arrival we had a free afternoon, they had a pool, moto 3 wheel bikes, and one of the staff said a golf driving range, which i opted for with my wife. The girl staff came up with a game truck, and said the driving range was about ten minutes drive into the bush. on the way she screeched to a halt and pointed, and this snake was a cape cobra, she said, about 7 ft long, it was a beautiful snake. When she dropped us off with the gear, she said don't bother to go out and pick the balls up, someone will do that later, i said you have no fear of me wandering out in the bush with what i had just seen cross our path, bloody nightmare, .Later that night we went to our room which had a large lounge type room serving all four rooms, as we entered the lounge, the door was open, and there was a small wild cat in there, which went berserk round the room, we jumped back from the door, and it took of into the night at a great speed. Give me quiet old UK kt

[Doc Vernon]

What a wake up call LOL

https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/austr...cid=spartandhp