A Black-Headed Python outside our house, complete with tyre marks

THREE NEAR-DEATH EXPERIENCES

Near-Death 1: Swimming with a 17 foot Crocodile

Ben and I went to Blacks Beach in North Mackay, Ben went for a swim and I paddled in the sea as we walked along. The beach was closed for swimmers but I thought that was due to the Irukandji Jellyfish (deadly and very small) that had been spotted in Mackay recently. After returning from our walk, we were just getting in the car when I overheard a man tell his wife in the next car, “The beach is closed due to a 17 foot crocodile being spotted by the lifeguard” – which would explain why the police and lifeguard were stood looking out to see when I returned from our walk.

Near-Death 2: Black-Headed Python 10 metres from our Garden

As I came out of the house the other day for my walk to work, I noticed a long thing in the road just across from our driveway. For a place that has lots of snakes, there are so many things here (tree bits usually) that look like snakes so I am used to ignoring the panic rising in me. On this occasion however, on closer inspection the long thing turned out to be about a 5 foot long snake!! Fortunately, it had been run over and wasn’t going anywhere (but I didn’t take any chances when I took this photo, I’ve seen the films!). Initially I thought it was a Brown Snake which is the second most venomous in Australia, but I checked in my book and it was a python. Pythons kill by constricting rather than venom, so that’s alright then?!? Ben would have copped it if it had made it into our garden!