It was meant to be a relaxing getaway to explore the stunning World Heritage-listed K’gari (Fraser Island).
But while it became an unforgettable experience for the wrong reasons for UK tourists Ben and his partner Georgia*, he can now offer some invaluable advice.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: UK tourist’s harrowing snake bite ordeal on K’gari (Fraser Island).
Watch the latest news and stream for free on 7plus >>
“Three things to make travelers like myself aware of in the future: Wear thick, high boots in Australia if you’re walking in the bush, always carry a bite kit and assume snakes are everywhere,” Ben, 29, told 7NEWS.com.au.
While camping on the Queensland island, Ben woke early on Saturday and sent his drone up – only to crash it into sand dunes above the camp.
So he put on his running shoes and trudged up the dunes.
Long grass
“As I walked off the sand into the grass, my mind was occupied with retrieving the drone,” he said.
“I managed to find the drone at the top of the dune and made my way back down. I’ve watched nature shows my whole life and I’m pretty switched on with keeping my wits about me, especially in Australia.
“I’m not sure if it was the adrenaline of getting the drone back or assuming that snakes wouldn’t be at the beach, but I just didn’t even question it until I stepped on this darkish thing quite deep in the grass, felt like a stabbing pain, looked down at my ankle and saw blood.”
His worst fears were confirmed when he got back to his 4WD and inspected his ankle.
When he saw the fang marks, he had the “sudden realisation” that “long grass plus summer equals snakes”.
Both he and Georgia “sat there frozen”.
They had no phone reception and the tide was in, meaning they were stuck at the campsite.
He put pressure on his ankle while his partner ran over to a nearby family of campers.
“She explained what had happened and immediately this lovely lady rushed over to me with a bite kit, she told me not to move, wrapped the bite in a bandage, circled the bite area and wrote the time of bite on the bandage,” Ben said.
“They had been told the day before that an eastern brown snake had been spotted just along the campsite, so we needed to move.
“Her husband Dan and his friend Lloyd carried me into the back of his new Landcruiser and rushed us across the rocks, along the beach to the nearest emergency phone.
“They called the emergency services, we were told that an ambulance was on the way and to not move as to risk chance of further envenomation.”
Ben says a RACQ LifeFlight helicopter arrived about 40 minutes later and had to land some distance away due to the tide.
He was flown, without Georgia, to Hervey Bay Hospital where his blood was monitored — and it was determined he had a “lucky escape”.
“Both fangs had hit the ankle bone perfectly so it didn’t inject venom,” Ben said.
However their ordeal did not end there. As Georgia drove their campervan to the hospital, the vehicle’s clutch blew.
A “couple of guys” helped her push the van to the side of the road.
“We had booked a three-day tour of Fraser Island and only made it through the first one. Our trip was cut short but it’s been one hell of a story to tell.
“In all seriousness, this hasn’t changed my outlook on anything. I love Australia and I will continue to explore it.”
* Ben and Georgia chose not to reveal their surnames
To find out more about how we use cookies, please see our Cookie Guide.
