How it happens

I was late getting out bush on the Friday night. Things were just coming up.I had a place I was planning to go and explore but decided half way out to just call in somewhere I knew and relax watching the glow worms.

The track out was looking like it had not had much traffic. Lots of leaf matter and sticks. There was one motorbike line through the debris. This kept going on the main road while I turned off to head down to the creek. This definitely had not seen any traffic. Small branches were down everywhere. Nearly at my destination I came across two trees that had come down, completely blocking the road. They weren't big, probably 15-20 com diameter. I got out of the car. A big puddle meant I had to walk around from the drivers side behind the car past the passenger door. I couldn't move the the trees. I walked back to the car and looked for the Silky saw in the front seat, it wasn't there so I walked to the back door and got the big Silky. Then I walked back to the trees and cleared them.

As I was walking back to the car this time, I looked down at the ground at my feet.

Not even 1cm from my foot was a death adder.

The fastest striking snake in Australia, with 8mm fangs.

Its venom causes paralysis and respiratory failure. it gets hard to see and your body goes limp. Death is quite likely.

It didn't move. I stepped away. I swore.

It looked at me, I looked at it.

I went to the car and got the phone to take a photo. This was my first NSW death Adder.

I was pretty shaken.

This is how it happens.

I didn't have proper footwear and shorts.

The Emergency Beacon was flat and I had been trying to charge it in the car.

The snake bandages were packed in my running gear box, buried deep in the back of the car ready to go out in the morning.

There was no mobile reception.

This is how it happens.

Not walking through the bush off trail, but just getting out of the car.

It really shook me.