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"Snakes"
We were riding an old trail (now banned by NPWS) that ends in a "non shallow creek" 
on Boxing day in the late afternoon on rounding
a corner to a spot with a view where we normally stop for a rest before the last decent we surprised a coastal Taipan.
And before you say na it was probably a brown I know my snakes I have held a Native animal keepers license for ten years and keep snakes at home.
The Taipan we saw was aprox five feet long a stunningly hansom animal but by no means a fully grown adult but enough to cause a serious problem if one of us was bitten.
I keep a first aid kit with me when riding which includes a pressure bandage for shoulder injury or god forbid a snake strike.
As snakes are now out hunting and searching for a mate early morning and late arvo. I hope everyone is keeping an eye out and taking some basic precautions ,pressure bandage , mobile phone , basic idea of map coordinate of where they ride and a plan in case of.
Unless you actually step on or run over one if you just stop and let it move on it will not bother you at all, just admire it as it goes by as they are more scared of us than us of them.
We were lucky that we stopped Holley my mates dog who rides with us from getting near this snake , it was not happy about being surprised and flattened out its head and neck before it calmly moved off into the scrub.
However there are Death adders around now this is another really big problem as they tend to coil up and wait on a well travelled path waiting for their prey
they are near impossible to see even up close due to their camouflage and have the fastest strike rate of any animal , we have spotted them around Belrose and the cascades so watch out
Enjoy the bush and don't ride in National Parks
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Thanks for the 'heads up'. Pardon the pun!
Wow, I didn't know the taipan's distribution extended this far south on the coast
Damn good advice. I hadn't even thought about the possibility of a snake bite. No pressure bandage in my kit at the moment. Christ, and I went to scouts too.... So much for their motto.
Thanks for pointing this out.
Colt
I was also surprised about seeing a Taipan this far south ,
I knew it wasn't a brown snake and both of us recognized it as a Taipan
When I got home I checked up on the net on their range of habitat and as Garigal's green belt connects with more northerly bush so
there is basically no reason why it could not migrate this far south .
Who knows there could be a lot more around this area and with the decline in activity thanks to NPWS less people to disturb them.
The images confirmed what we saw was the same as we were up close to it within two meters so got a really good look.
I am not scared of snakes but often think about it this time of year as we often go off trail looking for more riding potential mostly when walking the snake feels the vibration on the ground and leaves before you get there but wheels can be silent so you can easily surprise a snake.
But this snake has the ability to be fatal if even a small amount of venom is injected.
Although a lot of bites are just warnings with no venom released unless the snake is really scared has been cornered and become agressive so leave em alone
don't try to be the Croc hunter
So the basic rule is don't wash the wound (so a swab can be taken to identify the species)
Pressure bandage
Lay down and don't get your heart rate up
Someone to stay with the victim
Someone else goes/calls for help.
Hope no one ever needs to use this protocol.
So you were riding on a track that MTBs are banned from?
He was riding a mountain bike on an illegal trail....
With a dog....
In a National Park.
he goes on about us not writing enough letters about trail advocacy?
Well - if you all wrote some letters perhaps riding this trail wouldn't stay illegal?
Although, it's slightly silly to talk about illegal activities you have been partaking in on a public forum known to be monitored by the authorities.
well said Rob. many a crim has been takin down for bragging about their feats.
if your going to be naughty then dont tell the world about it...