Before leaving Ellenbrae this morning we drove back to the homestead to try their coffee and scones. This seems to be a feature they are trying to cultivate as a "differentiator" for their tourist business. While sitting in the quirky but attractive cafe devouring said coffee and scones we started reading an information sheet that is provided at each table. From it we learned some interesting facts.

  • A scone is originally a Scottish food item and was probably originally spelled "skone". Ellenbrae sold over 17,000 scones last year to tourists, and that is over the tourist period of 6 months.

  • During the wet season the station is not accessible by road and is occupied by a single young couple and their one child. A mail plane comes by once a week with supplies.

  • The Boab trees that we have previously mentioned are only found in North Western Australia, Africa and Madagascar.

Our destination today is Drysdale Station which is located 59km North of the Gibb River Road along the Kalumburu Road. The intersection of these two roads is about 60km west from Ellenbrae. At the junction there is a primitive rest area with an information display. One of the intriguing topics covered by this display was the correct handling (disposal of) Cane Toads. If you have not heard Cane Toads are an introduced species that is running rampant in Australia and are a dangerous pest. So the instructions for handling a cane toad are as follows:

  • Catch the toad and place it in a plastic bag,

  • Put the plastic bag in a refrigerator for 4 hours,

  • Then place the plastic bag in the refrigerator freezer for 24 hours,

  • Then put the plastic bag in the garbage/trash.

So why put the frog in the refrigerator for 4 hours before putting it in the freezer? Why not straight into the freezer?

A humane death!

Drysdale station is a major stopping point for travelers in this part of the country. It is one of the few fuel sources in the North West, has repair facilities, a limited supply of new tires, accommodation, restaurant, limited food supplies, and camping. We opted for a hamburger lunch, a shower and a camping spot for the night. It is also the gateway to the Kimberley Coast and the Mitchell Plateau and Mitchell Falls, that's our destination over the next few days.

At Drysdale Station we saw the refrigerator in the second to last photo and initially thought that maybe the Station management were providing a means for guests to handle cane toads. But when we opened the refrigerator it turned out to be a phone booth. We do not know why the phone needs to be in a fridge, but it was.