Annie said she was at the beach with her husband Mark on January 8 and they were lying under the trees on the sand. 

“I was lying on my tummy with my head on my arms and I looked up and saw the snake about 12 inches away from my face,” she said.  

“I jumped up and yelled at my husband to get up.

“I was so shocked I couldn’t get the word snake out of my mouth.” 

The couple slowly backed away from the snake and left their belongings on the sand. 

Annie suspected the snake was looking for food as she said it was going in and out of holes. 

She estimated the size of the snake was about five or six foot long. 

Annie said she wants others to be aware so they can be vigilant. 

“I know there are lots of families who go there with kids so it’s important they know there is one around,” she said. 

Reptile expert and NSW Office of Environment and Heritage handler for the Hastings region Stuart Johnson said despite negative stories about eastern brown snakes they are just like any other animal out in the bush. 

“There is a stereotype that venomous snakes are more aggressive or bite more than non venomous but that’s not true,” he said. 

Mr Johnson said the reason why a lot of people get bitten is due to human error. 

“People who try to touch, poke it or other silly things,” he said. 

Mr Johnson said the eastern brown snake is the second most venomous snake on the planet. 

“It is commonly found in eastern Australia and in populated areas,” he said. 

Mr Johnson said if people do come across a snake they should remain calm, stay still and perhaps slowly, quietly move away.