A quick web search revealed only Yellow FACED whip snakes.  Were you looking at the right end?

Look out for the hoop snakes.  They're pretty fast down hill so the best avoidance strategy is to run up hill to get away.

Oops .. another look showed that the yellow faced whip snake has a yellow tail too.  So it doesn't matter which end you are looking at I suppose.  Although venomous, they are not dangerous to humans (except perhaps for very large specimens - large snakes not large humans that is - so they say).  Lets know how you go.

Yellow-faced Whipsnake  Demansia psammphis cupreiceps Total Length: Up to 1 m Distinguishing features: Very slender, long tail, large prominent eyes. Swift and alert. Narrow pale edged line extends around snout. Each scale dark edged. Head and tail flushed with copper.

Habitat: Open dry habitat Diet: Reptiles, reptile eggs and frogs

Bruce and Bev wrote:

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good to hear things are going well for you both and no mention of any more mechanical problems - does that mean you've finally shaken all the numerous defects out of it? - fingers crossed, Jim :)

Large snakes are very common in Northern WA and they often lay across the road during a fine day to heat up. We came across an unknown breed and it was about 8-10 ft long, although the BOSS reckoned it was longer than the ute and van combined! We just swerved around it and kept going - didn't have an overwhelming desire to stop, get the tape measure out and see just how long it was.

Fishing close to shore in WA is usually very poor, unless youre into sea salmon further south. You need to get well off shore in a cruise ship to get the depth and away from where the Taiwanese and South Korean factory ships don't go (we blame the Indonesians, but although theres a lot of boats out there - the Indo boats are tiny compared to the other two countries who rape our fisheries

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 Might have been an Olive Python ..

Olive Python Liasis olivaceus olivaceus  Total Length: 4.5 6.5 m Distinguishing features: Dark olive, olive brown to yellowish brown. Ventral (lower) surfaces cream to white. Often mistaken for a brown snake, olive python has smaller scales.

Habitat: Often along watercourses, with rocky areas

Diet: Reptiles, birds and mammals Venom: Non-venomous  Distribution: Coulomb Point (WA) to western QLD