Continuity mistake: The size and position of the text in the Ark's box changes between shots.
Continuity mistake: When the camera shows the back of the truck, there are two soldiers on each side of the truck, plus the sergeant inside it. Following that, there were seven soldiers and one of them fell off the truck – there's a missing soldier in the scene. (01:25:50)
Continuity mistake: In the submarine dock of Geheimhaven, Captain Mohler is a man with dark hair in his mid or late thirties. But during the procession, he seems to be much older, with grey hair.
Continuity mistake: When the Nazis are aboard the Bantu Wind, in the full scene of the ship deck, Toht stands behind Belloq. But, after Marion tries to hit Dietrich, the camera focuses on Belloq, then on Dietrich again. Toht is not seen anymore on the deck.
Continuity mistake: When the Nazis are loading the Ark in the truck, you can spot Toht next to the left side of the truck, watching the scene. A few seconds later, he walks out of scene, apparently going to the car. However, when Belloq and Dietrich walk to the car and Belloq shouts "Let's go!", Toht has disappeared. (01:21:45)
Continuity mistake: When Dietrich, Gobler, and Belloq arrive next to the destroyed Flying Wing, Gobler is on the left of Dietrich and Belloq on the right. In the next shot, they have changed places. (01:20:58)
Other mistake: In the opening scene Indiana is with horses and scouts. A few minutes later he is running for his life and in a few moments he's at a waiting plane. Why does he need scouts and horses for the cave is in walking distance from the plane and how did the scouts and horses get there?
Character mistake: Watch the extras playing the Cairo civilians walking around just before the big swordsman reveals himself to Indy. Several of them are just aimlessly walking back and forth as if they have no idea where to go.
Continuity mistake: The amount of dates change from shot to shot before they are poisoned.
Continuity mistake: At the market in Cairo just after one of the guys tries to kill Indy with a sword and misses, the shadow from the wall changes between shots.
Continuity mistake: When Indiana is fighting the bad guys at the market in Cairo, one of them kills another one with a sword instead of Indy - their position changes between shots.
Continuity mistake: Belloq grabs the idol from below its ear. When the angle changes he is holding it by the idol's temple.
Continuity mistake: When the guy at the start who betrayed Indy is shown stabbed by many spears, in the shot when Indy says "adios", he stays with him the entire shot. However, in the next shot, he's far away from him.
Continuity mistake: When seen from the outside the entry hole to the Map Room is quite vertical. The angle is different when seen from the inside. Further, the hole is so vertical that the sun wouldn't be high enough to shin through the hole at 9 am.
Continuity mistake: After the door to the Well of Souls is opened, Indy and Sallah take a sneak peek at the inside, immediately after, from a new angle, Indy sneaks in again.
Continuity mistake: The position of the dead monkey and the date next to him changes between the first and second angle.
Continuity mistake: The morning after Indy makes out with Marion, when he goes to check why the boat engines have stopped, the position of her hands, the wrinkles on the blanket and the dress behind the bed change positions between angles.
Continuity mistake: Indy walks to the hill where the ark is, holding a shovel that keeps facing different directions depending on the camera angle. Also, Indy holds it either by its black metal part or by the wooden stick. This all changes back and forth.
Continuity mistake: In the map room, Indy places his brush facing a 9 o'clock direction. A frame later it faces a 6 o'clock.
Continuity mistake: In the map room, Indy brushes the sand off of a stone, leaving a clean horizontal trail. A frame later, in the close-up, the upper left part above the trail is suddenly clean.
Answer: The scene you describe was indeed filmed. It was cut out of the US release of the film although I cannot speak for the Australian version. The scene also appears in the Marvel Comics adaptation. http://www.theraider.net/films/raiders/deleted_scenes.php has a list of this and the other deleted scenes.
Phil C.