I am deathly afraid of snakes--can't even look at a picture of a garden snake. I was considering staying at Silky Oaks Resort until my husband said that there are probably snakes there because of the Dantree Rain Forest. Also, I wanted to stay at Ayers Rock resort and Bond Springs Outback Retreat which is 25km from Alice Springs but now I am wondering if there are snakes in this area also. Should I be worried? Thanks.

Well, Australia is home to more species of snakes than anywhere else. And I understand your fears. My mother is the same way, can't even look at a picture. I don't think you should let it stop you from visiting anywhere in Australia though. As long as you keep positive, you will do great! Australia is a huge place and the snakes are usually hiding and you may not see any at all, specially mid-day when it is hot and they are all hiding under rocks and such. I am no expert at snakes and things though, I suggest doing some research and finding out more about them. I know the Lonely Planet guide has a huge section on the animals and things, it may be of help. Good luck, you will be fine!<BR>Brandi

Jamie,<BR>I can really understand your fear but I think at the resort itself the chance of seeing a snake is very remote. If you go on an organised nature walk, let the guide know in advance you are terrified of snakes and if he comes across one (not likely), he will know not to show you. I'm not too keen on snakes either but when we were in Port Douglas, the Daintree and Cape Tribulation last year, we didn't see any. They will usually keep well away from people and noise. Same goes for Ayers Rock, snakes live all over Australia but you rarely see them.<BR>Don't put off your trip because of this, we do have dangerous things here like crocodiles etc, but most tourists never see any dangerous creatures at all.<BR>Kay

I spent my growing up years in Queensland never seeing a snake. On holiday in Canada camping by the side of a lake in BC and saw 4 in 2 days - the chances of seeing a snake a very remote at the best of times. Be more afraid of the car drivers, they are far more dangerous

Hi-<BR><BR>The Silky Oaks is off a paved road and set alongside a river- Many of us hear "rainforest" and think "jungle" - but for some reason the Daintree is quite paved. That said, if you stick to the paved paths to your air con accommodations, there is very little chance of your running into a snake. Snakes don't want to see people, either, and the footsteps and general activity will keep them tucked into the hillsides. That said, we did see a snake somewhere in Daintree, not Silky Oaks. It was smaller than a pencil and disappeared before we could even register its presence. Why are people so afraid of snakes??

Jamie: My wife has the same fear. Ironically, she grew up in South Africa which definitely has its share of deadly snakes. She says she used to run around in bare feet all the time, saw snakes from time to time on her cousin's farm, and was never afraid. She now lives in Canada, where outside of some small parts of the country, there are no posionous snakes, and now she is afraid of them. Go figure! <BR>Anyway, on our last trip to Australia, we were exclusively in Queensland, and we were hiking all over the bush. The most we saw was the back end of a snake taking off as he felt us coming. We did, however, run into another tourist who was determined to find snakes, and went looking for them under rocks, and the like. He found them. The moral of the story is: leave them alone, and they will do the same

I've lived in Australia most of my life, travelled around a lot, and have only seen a snake in the wild twice. <BR>I got over my fear of snakes by holding one - realised what beautiful creatures they can be.