Coober Pedy feel like something out of a Mad Max
movie - a barren wasteland with nothing for miles
around. I start to wonder how a snake could possibly
exist in this harsh terrain, and also why anyone would
want to live there? Man, there must be some seriously
pretty rocks around! We check into a caravan park
and enjoy the sights and sounds of downtown Coober
Pedy.
First thing in the morning, we head away from town
in search of something slithery. Within 20 minutes of
driving we find a snake on the road. We pull over and
get out to inspect the animal and move it to safety
before realising....it’s a taipan! It’s actually a....road kill
taipan. Unbelievably, we locate a taipan almost
immediately, and it’s been freshly run over, possibly
only an hour or so beforehand. Shattered!
Heartbroken! But doubly determined to find a live
specimen. After about another ten minutes of driving,
we start to notice what looks like shattered glass
covering the landscape. Upon closer inspection, this
proves to be salt, which had crystallised in the dried-
up creeks and dams. While we were looking at the
salt, we found recent snake shed; another sign that we
had arrived in taipan territory. The rest of the
morning passed without incident, and it was soon
time to head back for lunch.
Gaz decides to do a U-turn and swings the vehicle off
the track, but before we know it we are up to our
axles in deep, thick, black mud. We are bogged, in the
middle of nowhere, in a wasteland inhabited by highly
-venomous snakes. Obviously we are destined to die!
We are stranded for well over an hour without seeing
a single car drive past, and all attempts to push us free
prove futile (even my incredible calves can’t dislodge
the Land Rover). It was hot, we were running out of
water, and the flies were killers - absolutely ruthless. I
have never previously experienced hatred for
anything like I did that day; towards Gary for getting
us stuck, of course!
Finally, two hours into being marooned on the side of
the road, a car comes pelting along and pulls over to
offer assistance. Unfortunately it’s not able to get the
Land Rover out, but it can take one of us back to
Coober Pedy to arrange for help. I draw the straw and
jump into the back of the air-conditioned sedan, free
from flies, and head for town. Within another hour I’m
reunited with Gaz and $300 later we are removed
from our sticky situation. Back to the caravan park for
lunch, a beer and a shower. It was much needed.
Next day we head back out on the same track
(without deviating off road this time) and within 30
minutes we spot something long and thin stretched
out almost across the width of the road. It was
moving! It was alive! It was a massive Inland Taipan!
Gaz was driving, and he’s pulled on the hand brake
and left the car to skid to a halt, as he’s out of the door
before it pulled up. I was quick to follow, to admire
this beautiful animal as it slithered along the road. A
huge cattle train was bearing down fast in a cloud of
dust. We had to act fast! Gaz tails the snake and moves