NickyP

Hubby has decided to go and buy a tent as the kids have been nagging to go camping since we arrived here. They all enjoyed sleeping out when we did the relay for life and didn't mind the cold one bit so we are running out of excuses. You would think that living in our house was as close to camping as most people would want to get .
So advice please from anyone who has been out camping in the national parks. Ours is just 5 mins up the road and we are allowed to camp there so it seemed a good place to start. I have been told that you can camp within a certain distance of the river without any problems BUT my big worry is that at the moment we are starting snake season again. We have got several brown, black and tiger snakes in the area (one large black one was festering in our well last year ). We have been told that black and brown snakes are usually OK and will avoid people but that tiger snakes may well have a go and that they like water. I am not overly worried but would like to know if anyoen here has been camping and can give us some pointers on what we should or shouldn't do.
I expect the possums will be more of a pain if the one in our roof is anything to go by
Thanks.
Nicky

michael_w

Done loads of camping in NSW/Victoria and never had a problem with snakes - though we've seen quite a few. As you said, most snakes avoid humans, and we've always tried to use common sense - not crashing through the bush or long grass, or letting the kids wander off in the bush unsupervised.
A doctor friend of mine says a lot of snakebites he's attended to have been from people using sticks and things "to try scare the snake off". His advice - just keep well clear of them.
Our worst experience was when the 8 year old had to go out of the tent at midnight to spend a penny and he came back claiming to have been bitten by something on his foot - this was near Khancoban, a long drive from the nearest country hospital! Luckily was a false alarm.