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Col BarrettThe Old Bush Way · 2026See the offer

45 summers on a bush block outside Gympie

Keep Snakes, Rats and Possums Away From the House, the Old Bush Way.

Snakes get busy from around September, the Queensland Government says. Here's how to take away the food, shelter and water that bring them to your back step, what to do when you see one, and when to ring a licensed catcher.

Col Barrett
Col Barrett45 summers on a Queensland bush blockFrom the Col Barrett YouTube channel

From the Col Barrett YouTube channel

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Checked against Australian government, museum and first-aid advice

  • You live on a bush block, an acreage or a leafy suburb, and snake season makes you nervous.
  • You hear something in the roof at night and want to know if it's a possum or a rat.
  • You'd rather fix the reason critters come than spray the yard every month.

Not for you if you want to catch, kill or move snakes or possums yourself. They're protected, and the book tells you who to ring.

No. IWhy I wrote it

A Boot-Length From the Back Step

Last October, Ned stopped dead at the bottom of the back steps. He didn't bark. He just went stiff and stared at the tank stand.

It was an eastern brown, lying in the sun, about a boot-length from where I'd have put my foot.

I got Ned inside and watched from the kitchen window until it slid off towards the paddock. Then, with a cuppa on the verandah, I asked the question Pop always asked: what did it come here for?

The sun was on the slab, there was cover under the stand, the overflow kept the ground damp, and I'd let the mice into the feed shed. I fixed the feed shed that same weekend.

This book is Pop's question, asked about every critter round an Aussie home.

No. IIThe bush rules

The Five Rules of the Old Bush Way

"A snake doesn't come for you. It comes for its dinner." Pop Barrett

  1. Find the dinner and you've found the critter. Take away the food and shelter, and most of them move on.
  2. Protected means hands off. Leave native animals be, and call a licensed person.
  3. Fix the reason, not the symptom. Feed, gaps and clutter, before any spray or gadget.
  4. First aid first, 000 always. For a snake bite, call 000 every time.
  5. Go easy on poison. Baits and sprays can harm pets and wildlife. Read the label every time.

No. IIIA real page from the book

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Chapter 2 · The 10-Metre Yard AuditThe Old Bush Way · 2026

Dress for the job, then lift from the far side

A snake looks at your yard differently from you. You see a lawn, a shed and a woodpile. A snake sees a feed, a hiding spot and a warm place to lie.

  1. Dress for the job: gloves, long pants and covered shoes. Do the big jobs in the cool months if you can.
  2. Lift from the far side. Grab the far edge of any sheet of tin, board or ply, so it opens away from you.
  3. Get it off the ground. Stand old sheets of iron on their edge against a fence, or take them to the tip.
  4. Stack the woodpile neat, up off the dirt and well away from the house.
18

Where this comes from: the Queensland Government advises gloves, long pants and covered shoes for gardening, and says to stack timber neatly so rodents and snakes can't hide in it. Lifting from the far side is Pop's habit, and the book says so.

That's one page. Every chapter is built like it: a yarn from my block, why the critter turns up, where people go wrong, the steps, and a Saturday job.

Print this page free (PDF, no email needed) Get the Book + Workbook · A$37Get the Book · A$59

No. IVWhat's inside

What's Inside The Old Bush Way

29 short chapters in 8 parts, 171 pages, plus who to call and cards to print. Plain words, Aussie critters, large print included.

  • Why the snake came, and the four things it's after round your house: food, shelter, warmth and water.p. 11
  • The 10-metre yard audit: a walk from the fence to the back door that takes away a snake's hiding spots.p. 16
  • Snake bite first aid, step by step, with 000 first, every time.p. 31
  • Snake myths, honestly graded: what works, what works a bit, and what's bush myth.p. 37
  • Redbacks, funnel-webs and huntsmen: who to worry about, and the shoe and torch habits that matter.p. 42
  • Possum or rat in the roof? Reading the noises, finding the way in, and the one-way flap.p. 62
  • The rat and mouse seal-up map, and why I go easy on bait.p. 78
  • White ants: the signs, the screwdriver tap test, and when to get a proper inspection.p. 93
  • Cockroaches, ants and silverfish: the four ways in, and the old remedies, honestly graded.p. 109
  • Mozzies, ticks and flies: tanks and saucers, and the nightly tick check for you and the dog.p. 129
  • Living with protected wildlife: magpie season, brush turkeys, goannas, bats and injured animals.p. 139

With the welcome deal you also get The Old Bush Way Yard Check free. Every order includes five printable bonus sheets and The Old Bush Way Card Set.

No. V · 2026 Edition · Digital ebook

Everything You Get TodayEverything You Get

Digital PDF, print it at home, nothing is mailed.

What you getIncluded
The Old Bush WayThe whole book: 29 chapters in 8 parts, 171 pages, with who to call and cards to print.Included
The Old Bush Way Yard Check FREE20 season-by-season yard checks, from the spring snake walk to the August restock. Large print included. Free with the welcome deal.FREE
The Snake Bite First-Aid CardCall 000 first, then the bandage steps, for the fridge door.Included
The Backyard Critter ID SheetThe spiders and critters that matter, and why you never ID a snake by colour.Included
The Snake-Season Yard AuditThe fence-to-back-door walk as a tick list.Included
The Critter Calendar by StateWhat turns up when, season by season, state by state.Included
Who to Call, State by State000, Poisons Information 13 11 26, wildlife lines and catchers.Included
The Old Bush Way Card SetSnake bite first aid, spider bite first aid and who to call, ready to print.Included
Large-print editionBigger type, same book.Included
Regular priceA$59
You pay todayA$37A$59
You save todayA$22

One payment, no subscription. Prices are in Australian dollars and include GST where it applies.

Why only A$37? It's my welcome price for first-time visitors. For 15 minutes from your first visit, you get the book and the free workbook for A$37. After that, the page shows the book on its own for the regular A$59.

The welcome price has ended. A$59 is the regular price. One payment, and the 30-day money-back promise still covers you.

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What happens after you tap the button

  1. Pay on Stripe's secure page. Card, Apple Pay or Google Pay, about a minute.
  2. Your guide opens right away. The next page has a big download button. An email brings the same button.
  3. Start today. Read on your phone, tablet or computer, or print the checklists.

What Readers Say

No. VI · A note from Col Barrett

My 30-Day "Fair Go" Promise

Read it. Walk the 10-metre ring this Saturday. Put the snake catcher's number in your phone.

If it doesn't help, reply to your receipt email (or use the contact page) within 30 days, and you'll get every cent back.

No forms, no questions. This promise is on top of your rights under the Australian Consumer Law.

Col BarrettThe Old Bush Way · 2026
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No. VIIAbout the author

Who's Writing This

Col Barrett
Col Barrett45 summers on a Queensland bush block
Find the dinner and you've found the critter.

G'day, I'm Col. I was born on a five-acre bush block outside Gympie, in Queensland, and I've never really left it. The house is an old high-set Queenslander with a tin roof, two rainwater tanks and a chook pen down the back.

My dad, Pop Barrett, ran a dairy near Kandanga and taught me most of what's in this book. Some of his habits were spot on. A few were wrong, and I'll tell you which ones.

I'm not a pest controller, a snake catcher, a vet or a wildlife officer. What I've got is 45 summers on this block. Every fact in the book has been checked against Australian government, museum and first-aid advice, and when a job needs a licensed person, I say so.

Col Barrett

No. VIIIQuestions

Common Questions

Is a paper copy mailed to me?

No. It's a digital PDF you read on your phone, tablet or computer, or print at home. Large-print editions are included.

I'm not good with computers. How do I get it?

The page you see after paying has a big download button, and an email brings the same button a few minutes later.

Will it tell me how to catch or kill a snake?

No. Snakes, possums and most native animals are protected. The book shows you how to make your place less interesting to them, and who to ring when one needs moving.

Is it only for Queensland?

No. The critters and the fixes are for homes right round Australia, and two of the bonus sheets go state by state. Where something varies by region, the book says so.

Are the prices in Australian dollars?

Yes. The price is in Australian dollars and includes GST where it applies.

Is it safe to pay here?

Yes. The button takes you to Stripe's secure checkout, so your card details never touch this page.

Why is it A$37 now and A$59 later? What is the timer?

A$37 is my welcome price for your first 15 minutes here, and it includes the free workbook. After that the page shows A$59 for the book on its own, with the bonus sheets and large print. Reloading doesn't restart the clock.

What if it's not for me?

Reply to your receipt within 30 days for a full refund. No questions.

No. IXYour decision

Be Ready, Not Worried.

Snake season's here. You can keep reacting to whatever turns up at the back step, or take away the reasons it comes.

Forty-five summers taught me most of it is a Saturday's work, a bit of mesh and the right number in your phone.

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P.S. Not sure yet? Try the free page above. My 30-day promise covers you either way.

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