The question I really should have asked.

When my husband and I talked about leaving Brisbane and moving to Eumundi, we talked about all the important things. More space. Less traffic. Growing our own vegetables.  Fresh air. A slower pace of life. Maybe growing some flowers. Funny how he never mentioned the snakes. Not once. 

I feel this was a fairly significant omission from the country-life brochure that I was romanticizing in my head. 

To be fair, I'm Australian and I grew up in the Country so I know all about snakes and spiders. But 20 years of living a beach lifestyle on the Northern Beaches in Sydney and 10 years living by the Bay in Brisbane; I kind of forgot about them.  

I mean spiders are everywhere it's not just a country thing and to be honest they keep mostly to themselves trying to avoid the birds who hunt them for lunch. But the snakes........ well let's just say I've had to put my big girl pants on a few times to deal with the problem. Like the time I opened the garage door to find this.......

This, they say, is a harmless python; now I don't know about you but the words 'harmless' and 'snake' don't really belong in a sentence together as far as I'm concerned.  Don't get me wrong, this snake really is harmless to humans as we are too big for it too squeeze but my Dachshund Molly, well that certainly is cause for concern is the snake is big. 

I read a lot and watched a lot of video's before we found this place but it's funny how no one shows you the wildlife! And for someone who is a self-confessed city/beach girl who screams when a blade of grass unexpectedly touches her or ducks for cover when birds fly over head (thanks to the movie The Birds) those shares would have been helpful. 

I mean it would have been nice to know that just about every shed has a snake in the roof or that your house will have pythons hibernating in the roof for the winter. I looked in this garage so many times when we were looking to buy it and I never ever looked up! If I did I would have seen this guy; the snake not the snake catcher lol....

Funny story that; we relocated the python and 2 tree snakes and another python moved in the following week.  The same week we saw a 2metre Red Belly Snake slither across the horse paddock into the bush on our fence-line. So apart from burning the house and moving back to the city, I had to come to terms with this new fear and work out how to live with them because you just never know what you will find when you open the garage door!

I mean can you imagine! Of course it always happens when Hubby is not home, that's why I have so many snake photo's because I'm always sending them to him. But instead of letting the fear take hold I decided to read up on snakes and learn about their habitats, hunting and diet so I know which ones are OK and which ones aren't and something strange happened. 

I got used to them.  Not overnight. And I'm certainly not one of those fearless country women who casually picks up a python and relocates it while continuing a phone conversation but my panic disappeared.

I've learnt to always wear shoes outside (yes we really did do gardening in the first weeks in flip flops) and to look where you're walking. I've learnt not to put my hands blindly into places outdoors, to always wear gloves and step back for a minute when you open sheds and you keep the grass under control around the house.

I'm still afraid of them but I understand them now. I know that they aren't interested in making a fuss unless I'm bothering them and they are stressing out and I know that sometimes they want to digest their food in a quiet place and will eventually move on.

Important advice for anyone thinking of making the move to the country and is a little afraid of snakes too. 

Read more articles in our Australian Farmhouse Kitchen & Living Series 

• Why are so many Australian's choosing Farmhouse Living?
• I used to go to the gym and now I stack firewood

About Karen Hobson

Karen founded The Eumundi Trading Co after leaving Brisbane and relocating to Eumundi in the Sunshine Coast hinterland with her husband. Seeking more space, a slower pace of life and the opportunity to build something meaningful together, they embraced a lifestyle centred around gardening, growing food, creating, learning and living more intentionally.

A passionate gardener for many years, Karen has long believed that some of life's greatest pleasures come from simple pursuits — growing herbs and vegetables, sharing food with family and friends, preserving seasonal produce, baking, creating beautiful spaces and finding joy in everyday rituals.

Through The Eumundi Trading Co and the Australian Farmhouse Kitchen & Life Series, Karen shares practical inspiration on farmhouse living, cottage gardens, kitchen gardens, traditional homemaking skills, farmhouse kitchens, slow living and creating homes that feel lived in, loved and deeply personal.