McCarrs Creek snake catcher guidance
“McCarrs Creek” can mean a waterway, a road, the reserve or a nearby property. Start with the exact place and the safe entrance, then describe where the snake was last seen.
Reserve, roadside or property?
Council’s McCarrs Creek Reserve page places the reserve off McCarrs Creek Road at Church Point and lists a wharf, boat ramp, dinghy storage and picnic facilities. Say whether you are at the reserve, on the road or at a residential address. A waterfront location may need different access from a road-facing property.
At the reserve, use a fixed facility as your reference rather than sending someone along the creek to locate the snake. Keep the approach clear and warn your own group from a safe position. Do not move stored watercraft or reach underneath a boat to find an animal that has gone out of sight.
Dog access does not make a sighting safe
The designated off-leash area is west of the reserve’s main access road. Council permits off-leash use there on weekdays except public holidays; dogs must be on leash on weekends and public holidays. Check the current signs and council information for the area you are using.
Whatever the permitted hours, keep dogs away from a snake. Call your dog back only from a safe position and avoid entering the snake’s space to retrieve a lead or toy. If contact may have occurred, contact a vet urgently even if the dog appears to settle; removal and veterinary care are separate priorities.
Describe a safe approach from the road
For a home, give the street number, gate, driveway and any stairs between parking and the sighting. For a roadside location, stop only where it is safe and lawful; do not stand in traffic or attempt to redirect the snake. Explain any access restriction before arranging attendance.
SITC’s office records the scene and coordinates an available licensed catcher according to location and availability. Confirm the call-out fee by phone. Attendance at a waterside or restricted location depends on workable access; arrival time and capture are not guaranteed. Park locations beyond the road network may require land-manager coordination.
Bite emergencies come first
A person may have been bitten
Call 000, keep still and follow the operator. For a limb bite, apply a pressure immobilisation bandage and immobilise the limb. Do not wash the bite, use a tourniquet or drive yourself. Official first aid.
Northern Beaches Hospital’s emergency department is at 105 Frenchs Forest Road West, Frenchs Forest. Call 000 for a suspected bite; ambulance services decide transport. Hospital details.
A pet may have been bitten
Keep the animal quiet and call a vet urgently for transport instructions. Veterinary first-aid guidance.
Sydney Animal Hospitals Newport: 1 Palm Road, 02 9997 4609, daily 7:30am–7pm. After hours: NEVS, 16 Myoora Road, Terrey Hills, 02 9452 2933. Call ahead; no antivenom stock is implied.
What grid H3 can and cannot tell you
The campaign places this locality in observation grid H3. Its 26 records cover the whole approximately 11 by 9 km square, not this locality. Inclusion does not establish an observation here. These are public observation records, not unique snake totals or SITC call-outs. The map is not a danger measure or real-time tracker.
Nearby guides and regional navigation
Church Point is the immediate reserve-side reference; Bayview follows the southern Pittwater shore. Terrey Hills is useful for the inland road approach, and Newport for the eastern Pittwater side.
See the Northern Beaches hub and Sydney service-area directory. Local and contact information checked 2 November 2026.