Bunbury. Timber floats and can’t explode.

The entrée into the little harbour was very nice. In a long line of sandy dunes there was a gap with a creek flowing out into the sea. Along this creek was a stout wooden wharf where our ship could easily tie up. At the end of the wharf was a small village with ,if I remember correctly, a long street with the necessary shops, homes and one hotel. At the end, across the street there was a small hospital. A very picturesque little village nestled amongst the sand hills where there were many holiday homes. It was a holiday village except it was not yet holiday time. You could hear the quiet. What an oasis, how restful. Again here after dark all the lights went on. The necessary shopping was done and we found a friendly bar in the lounge of the hotel. We were immediately accepted by the local population and particularly by the bar patrons!
Ass. engineer Adriaan Kik

Bunbury, 250 miles South of Fremantle is nothing more than a small village with a small harbour used mainly for the shipping of timber. It is here that the new assignment for Abbekerk slowly takes shape.

The massive locomotives with tender we still had in our holds were of no use in Australia because they had the wrong gauge. Many scientists came to have a look if they could be altered. That proved to be impossible and so they stayed on board.
Third Mate Jacob Visser

A freighter loading timber at the jetty at Bunbury Harbour, just before the war. (Source: National Library of Australia)

So Abbekerk is going to deliver them at the original destination in Persia (nowadays Iran) and the ship is being loaded with large quantities of sleepers and large wooden beams to be used for the building of port- and railroad constructions.

In the meantime the loading had not stopped either. Slowly but surely the ship was filled with timber, with our heartfelt approval because it greatly improved our ability to stay afloat and timber can’t explode.
It was about this time that the Dutch Government, exiled in London, found it desirable that with one stroke of the pen, all crews on all the ships in the Merchant Navy were conscripted. We had been in a war situation for two years and had already suffered many casualties. We saw this as a cheap shot from the Government which we could not take very seriously at all, so this latest indignity we accepted on top of everything else.
Ass. engineer Adriaan Kik

As the larger part of the crew enjoys the nice little city and recuperates it becomes apparent that the last few months have taken their toll. No less than 4 crew members stay behind in Bunbury hospital.