2 fold question for the Oz experts.

Aussie Pythons & Snakes Forum

Help Support Aussie Pythons & Snakes Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
Status
Not open for further replies.

Primo

Active Member
Joined
Aug 7, 2014
Messages
132
Reaction score
52
Location
Minneapolis, USA
This is a question geared toward Aussie pythons with a twist. If a Statey (US citizen) like myself was looking for a beautiful beach vacation, with the added benefit of some type of natural adventure seeking coastal carpets, scrubs, olives, or really, any of the Aussie pythons; Where would the best place to visit be?

My beach preference would be crystal clear water with sugar, white sand, good snorkel and or diving area, and obviously being a coastal mix owner, I'd be interested in an area that has some very nice natural terrain so I could possibly run across pythons that are on my favorites list.

However, if there are supreme beach areas that beat out the Queensland area, I would look for the other species of carpets and enjoy their habitats just the same.

This trip would have to fulfill my wife's needs as well, and that would mean some fun night life with good food and drinks.

I would love to beach it by day, and see snakes anywhere by night.

I'll take any advice, and I'll add a kink to the question. We love the Australian Open tennis going on. I think we'd show up for that sometime, and I know if we went there, my wife would give me a free snake day for sure.

Is there anything that fits the bill by the tourney?


Thanks for any info.
 
Best places for beaches & wildlife are probably in Queensland (before the GBR gets covered in dredge spoil!) and the bush is torn away for coal mining!

Seriously, the east coast has the most reliable prospects for seeing critters at the right time of the year, and the further north, the better your chances. Many of the areas, especially the pristine beach areas, cater for tourists, with pretty classy accommodation and food. If you go to the tennis, you're a way south, and you'd probably not see as much in the way of wildlife. Time your visit to coincide with the darker phases of the moon (nocturnal reptiles don't move much when moonlight is bright) and you will greatly increase your chances of seeing stuff.

On the other side of the country, I'd have to say that south-west WA has probably the best beaches in the world, but the range of critters is limited and your chances of seeing much are much slimmer.

Jamie
 
Best places for beaches & wildlife are probably in Queensland (before the GBR gets covered in dredge spoil!) and the bush is torn away for coal mining!

Seriously, the east coast has the most reliable prospects for seeing critters at the right time of the year, and the further north, the better your chances. Many of the areas, especially the pristine beach areas, cater for tourists, with pretty classy accommodation and food. If you go to the tennis, you're a way south, and you'd probably not see as much in the way of wildlife. Time your visit to coincide with the darker phases of the moon (nocturnal reptiles don't move much when moonlight is bright) and you will greatly increase your chances of seeing stuff.

On the other side of the country, I'd have to say that south-west WA has probably the best beaches in the world, but the range of critters is limited and your chances of seeing much are much slimmer.

Jamie

Great info! I really appreciate the rundown as you are a 13 hour flight from our west coast. So far my favorite beaches are the British and US Virgin Islands, but the islands provided little in the way of snakes, at least those islands. South and Central America do not have the beautiful beaches of OZ, and I really find destinations that speak mostly English the easiest to navigate.

The tennis may have to go by the wayside in favor of the reef and wild life.


It's sad that all over the world, habitat destruction exists. However I really like the fact the carpet python can adapt well to human intrusion.
 
Great info! I really appreciate the rundown as you are a 13 hour flight from our west coast. So far my favorite beaches are the British and US Virgin Islands, but the islands provided little in the way of snakes, at least those islands. South and Central America do not have the beautiful beaches of OZ, and I really find destinations that speak mostly English the easiest to navigate.

The tennis may have to go by the wayside in favor of the reef and wild life.


It's sad that all over the world, habitat destruction exists. However I really like the fact the carpet python can adapt well to human intrusion.

Mmm, I think your best bet would be north Queensland, Dec, Jan & Feb. If you spend time in the Cairns region you'll see Scrubbies, Carpets and a heap of other stuff, including some nice geckos and the very special Boyd's Forest Dragon (one of my all-time favourites in the world). Anywhere north of about where I live (near Port Macquarie NSW), at the right time of the year you'll see Carpets of whatever variety, Eastern Water Dragons and Lace Monitors, along with a heap of other stuff, elapids included. Just this week I've lifted 2 Carpets off the road just outside our front gate - 400m from our house (I live on 100 acres of untouched bush).

Good luck with the research :)!

Jamie
 
One problem - whilst the summer months are definitely best for nocturnal reptiles, the beaches are closed due to the presence of Box-jellyfish. You can only swim in the nets.
 
Just about any waters north of Cairns you'd do well to stay away from the water(crocs, sharks, jellyfish) but it also has some amazing herping in it coastal regions as well as inland, especially through the summer months.
 
One problem - whilst the summer months are definitely best for nocturnal reptiles, the beaches are closed due to the presence of Box-jellyfish. You can only swim in the nets.

Ha! The things we "southerners" forget about :)!

J
 
haha! Not the sort of log I'd want floating by if I was in the water.... their ok when you have a boat though!

One thing you get taught real fast up north is stay the heck out of the water.
Those 'logs' have developed a taste for German tourists over the years...
 
Come tp Indonesia instead and find reptiles all day and all night for as long as you want to......

Best herping on Planet Earth
 
Bugger the tropics, Jervis Bay is your spot. Diamond pythons everywhere, the whitest sand in the world, nothing that will sting or eat you whilst you enjoy great snorkelling and diving. Plus it is close to civilisation and therefore food/coffee etc is acceptable.
Google Hyams beach, Honeymoon Bay for starters.
 
Hey Primo

Mate you couldn't look past Queensland as an option, If i were you id aim to land in Cairns then drive to Port Douglas.. its a nice drive.. after spending some time in Port douglas its well worth having a look at Cape Tribulation 2 hour drive and is the nicest place i have ever been on earth.. just type them into Google images and you will see.. Pretty sure you could tick most the things of your list between Cairns and Cape Tribulation.. also if youre lucky you may see a cassowary...

- - - Updated - - -

Bugger the tropics, Jervis Bay is your spot. Diamond pythons everywhere, the whitest sand in the world, nothing that will sting or eat you whilst you enjoy great snorkelling and diving. Plus it is close to civilisation and therefore food/coffee etc is acceptable.
Google Hyams beach, Honeymoon Bay for starters.

LOL I bet you get heaps of scubbies there
 
No scubbies (sic), but the shoalhaven ticks all the other requirements mentioned.
The request was for a beach holiday, with added pythons.
A Minneapolis wife would fare much better down here where one can swim than to swelter near Cairns where one can't.
 
Stinger suits and the great barrier reef can never be looked past..
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Latest posts

Back
Top