Heading for the hills (again)

Today was cool so, partly to satisfy my curiosity as to whether yesterday's unusual weather (esp the low clouds/ mist) would (could?) be repeated, and partly to check whether weeks of heat induced torpor had sapped my strength, I roused myself and ascended Mt Lofty on foot.

It was overcast, but the clouds were higher than yesterday so it neither rained nor produced any special visual effects. Just above Chinaman's Hut (an official geographical name ) I saw this snake. I first noticed it as I passed by it on the track, jumped forward (ingrained prejudices die hard), turned around and composed (myself and) this photo.

I wasn't willing to get any closer ( ditto ingrained prejudices with a dash of folklore) but from 2 or 3 metres away I estimated that the reptile was 60- 70cm long, ie a juvenile. Although it looks pale my recollection (still sharp 7 hours after the event) is that it looked a bit darker than the photo indicates. I'd call it as an eastern brown. In my experience it's unusual to see a snake after spring (this one is my fourth sighting this season but the previous one was in November), and the few that I have seen invariably try to get out of my way (or what they perceive to be my way). This little bloke didn't move, though I was expecting it to make a dash across the path once I'd moved by. I didn't disturb it in any other way so I don't know in which direction it headed.