Yesterday at lunch time, I was completing my post machine use cleaning routine after preparing the last coffees of the day. Standing at the sink, my mind was goodness knows where whilst drying the group head with a pink cleaning sponge.

Hubby appeared at the screen door to my left. Something lightly shot across the top of my thong clad left foot. In a split second, I dropped the group head into the sink, shrieked as I leapt backwards, the sponge falling to the floor, at the sight of a four foot long eastern brown disappearing underneath the washing machine, at the same time my husband came in closing the screen door behind him.

I explained there was an asp like creature in the house. Our white fluffy dog, Stan lay on the floor watching our conniptions. Was it a look of complete disinterest he was giving us?

Hubby grabbed the floor pad handle and exclaimed upon seeing the viper in the window reveal. He attempted to open the screen door with the pole as the slithering reptile dropped into the sink. We guessed we all wanted the same thing; a speedy exit from this dramatic situation. My husband opened the screen door, joined me in the living room from where we could view the area as the snake jumped out of the sink onto the floor and out across the patio to the nearest garden border.

This is the first time in almost twenty six years of living here we have encountered a serpent. I was advised it was the second deadliest snake on Earth and one of the most venomous in Australia.

After reading up on our intruder, I was marginally relieved to learn they are generally timid only becoming aggressive when threatened.