I lived in Perth for 8 years, never saw one. Been living 15km north of Geraldton on a 2.5 acre block for the last 3 years, never seen any snakes in town, but here in this semi-rural environment, we see a few in the summer, usually as roadkill on the country lanes, possibly in search of the rabbits and lizards that are also roadkill. According to my Aussie hubby, whose been around Oz twice and knows a fair bit about surviving in the bush (outback), if you see a snake and have time to slowly back away, do so, if you don't have time, stand stock still and let it pass you. They are not slimy, just cooler than you'd expect because they are cold-bloodied. Snakes, just like any other wild animal, will only bite if they feel threatened. I had a close encounter about 3 weeks ago, I was riding my pushy (bicycle) and was distracted by a passing car. I usually keep an eye out for traffic of both the vehicular and fauna variety, but a snake came out from under a bush on the opposite side of the road at right angles to me. I was travelling too fast to stop and decided to keep pedalling as fast as I could. Fortunately the snake stopped and looked at me, and I looked at it, and I thought, "please mate, don't mistake this as an attack". The snake did not attempt to strike, but this was a situation I wouldn't like to repeat, so now in addition to my mobile phone I carry a Snake Bite Bandage as a precaution. Golden Rule if you do get bitten: keep calm and still, certainly do not try to catch the snake; call for help dialling 000 (not 999); do not try and suck the poison out, that's an old wives tale, and do not wipe away the venom because the doctor will want to swab it to identify the snake; just use the compression bandage firmly from the bite site towards the heart. If you can photograph the snake on your mobile, great, but don't put yourself at further risk of another bite. The anti-venom here is very good. Apparently there's more chance of you dying from a bee-sting than a snake or spider or shark bite. Simply watch where you're going, and don't aggravate a snake by poking it with a stick.
My best advice is: come here, enjoy the lifestyle, the scenery, the weather, and the humour and work ethic of your average Aussie, and you'll love it. From Day One, I resolved to make as many Aussie friends as possible rather than sticking with Poms, as people tend to do in the northern suburbs of Perth, and try and lose your Pommie accent. Seriously, my father was in the RAF, so I soon learnt at an early age that the best way to fit in, is to adopt the local culture rather than cling to your own. I know people who have lived here for 30 years and still have a strong Scouse or Brummie accent and it makes my toes curl. I visited Australia 6 times before I migrated, so I knew what I was letting myself in for; it is so sad to see Brits come here, try one place for 6 months, then go back because they're homesick, then come back here again 12 months later. If you're gonna make a go of it, jump in with both feet. If you come thinking "if we don't like it we'll go back" then you are doomed to fail, and all that expense will have been for nothing.
