I don't like snakes, those of you who know me or who have read my previous blogs will well know this. As did half the zoo keepers at Chester Zoo back in around 1994 when my parents took us for the day... but that's another story.

This afternoon we walked near Joondalup Lake where there were lots of warning signs about snakes. We've seen lots of warning signs and are used to them now, but I was warned by a lady walking her dog to watch my step as I was wearing thongs (flip flops) and there were a lot of tiger snakes around. Walking whilst looking 2ft ahead of me for pissed-off-trodden-on tiger snakes didn't really make for a relaxed walk so we went to Whitfords beach instead. No less than 2 minutes from the car right in the middle of the path was a small snake.

Somehow, I didn't get the cold grip of fear, fighting between running for my life and freezing to the spot, heart pounding and nails digging into my palms. No, I was completely cool. Josh nearly died of shock at my non-reaction! We walked down the beach and then on the way back to the car I saw another one (might have been the same) and I walked TOWARDS it. I walked towards it and got a photo. It posed obligingly before slithering off into the sand dunes.

Turns out it was a juvenile dugite, a lethally venomous cousin of the notorious brown snake!! Best left well alone! Just so long as we don't meet its parents!

Anna xx