KEITH JACKSON
FRANCIS Nii, Daniel Kumbon and Martyn Namorong (pictured in the departure lounge at Port Moresby airport yesterday afternoon) had assembled in the national capital on Friday morning after a hectic and nerve-wracking week.
Francis had to undertake a special medical check after an encounter with tuberculosis a few years back and both he and Martyn were also under pressure to get their Australian visas sorted.
Visas, as many Papua New Guineans know, can offer a process that is complex and fraught.
But with prodigious assistance from Tim Bryson, a senior officer at the Australian High Commission in Moresby, and his colleague, principal migration officer Andrew Tarte, it all ended well.
Wishing the writers all the best for the Brisbane Writers’ Festival, Tim later tweeted: “It’s great to have PNG talent participating.”
And, when I thanked him and Andrew for their crucial help, he added: “Truth is it's a privilege living and working in PNG.”
Australia can’t go wrong with people like this representing it in the Land of the Unexpected.
The writers’ Australian visit would not have been possible without financial assistance from the Paga Hill Development Company so, on Friday morning with all the admin out of the way, the three writers fronted up to a meeting with Paga Hill’s CEO Gummi Fridriksson and board colleague Stanley Liria.
Gummi emailed me after the encounter: “We had a great time and it was inspiring to meet Francis, Martyn and Daniel.”
The feeling was mutual. “We really had a wonderful time with Gummi and Stanley,” said Francis. “We spent about an hour chatting about literature and Paga Hill’s corporate plans and future vision.
“It looks like Paga Hill's association with literature in PNG is the beginning of bigger things to come and we are so happy.
“Gummi loaded us with surprise gifts; we are very thankful.
“We had the privilege of being interviewed by TV-Wan. Thanks to Martyn for arranging that.”
The Air Niugini flight was an hour late leaving Port Moresby and by the time the three writers and Daniel’s wife Julie transited through Brisbane and rode the shuttle to Noosa it was ten o’clock last night.
Late for me, but it was good to see my friends – a bit travel weary but happy to have begun the first leg of this first PNG literary expedition to Australia.