Everything grows really well in the sub-tropics, so we've got thousands (yes, thousands) around our house and garden, and in the hottest months an eight foot python sunbakes in a big mango tree just an arms length away from our rear deck. But thanks to these critters we have no slugs or snails, virtually no rodents and very few flies. Australia has a complete menagerie of potentially dangerous creatures, and it's great sport to regale visitors with tall tales - sharks, salt water crocs, sundry nasty spiders and snakes - but in truth the number of fatalities is very small with the odds probably of the order of a million to one. Smoking, drinking or driving are eminently more hazardous.

What really frightens me is insomnia. Put a few pythons in the room and I'd probably sleep mush better.

Regards, John