It is best to leave them alone or watch them from uphill. If they must be disturbed do it from a distance. Although most will be just passing through, snakes do occasionally take up residence in suburban yards. During prolonged dry periods, they are attracted to gardens in search of water in rubbish, dog bowls, fishponds, swimming pools etc. Properties near scrubby creeks are especially prone to serpentine visits.
Rockeries are a major attraction for lizards.
If you like snakes and want to encourage them it is easy to create attractive habitat. Avoiding bites Snakes are naturally shy animals and their first form of defence is to move away from danger. Contrary to popular belief, they will not deliberately chase humans, but if provoked or cornered they may bluff or even attempt to bite. The risks are very low. If you encounter a snake, the best thing to do is to let the snake go its own way.