My partner and I had to drive at snail pace from Sydney to Port Kembla – it was raining and our windscreen wipers were not working. Squinting through the blotches we managed to stay on the road and notice a range of odd objects on the highway:  a pink felt couch sitting naked on the road side and a hatch-back that had somehow pinned itself to a rock face and was suspended from falling onto passing trucks, by masking tape.

With fifteen minutes before our due time for the dufflle bag opening at the Old Wollongong Lighthouse we arrived at the Port Kembla Port Office, collected the bag and new additions to it and drove at just below illegal speed to meet the group of Illawara contributors. The group was a trio that included a poet from the Shire, three locals and a vivacious photographer. Into the bag went a navigation chart with a poem attached to it, a treasure chest and illustrations and poems by the Canberra based poet of Viking blood, Alan Gould.

Now, I sit at my new desk with bold sunflowers brighting onto me as I type and eat some cake that my friend’s baked for me today, my birthday.

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Fremantle buzzes: Since I have been here I, and my sister, who has been assisting me in duffle mania have experienced many amusements such as : a jazz night, hosted by the Fremantle Navy Club and starring June and her Apple band. At this club we met sailors told us all about the Fremantle Docker (yes, that is correct – not Doctor). The sailors also uncovered some poems in their archives,  from almost fifty years ago – now in the duffle bag. Freo has presented to us the poems and personalities of students from Perth Modern who, yesterday, arrived at Shed A with the duffle bag and more excitement than the sea could handle! Fremantle introduced us to David Dare Parker, a photographer who snapped the most magic collection of images in extreme shadow drenched sunlight. David joins a growing list of incredibly talented photographers who have worked on our live events. The West Australian’s photographer also joined us yesterday and I’ve been tapping away at the keys all morning so haven’t been able to see if our story broke through.

Each duffle bag exchange is unique. The ship, the participants, the maritime communities all add their individual mojo to our project and yesterday was no different. It wasn’t until 9:30am that we confirmed the students would make the event. We are still awaiting our boat, The Kimberley Rose, to arrive! The Harbour Master, Graham Haldenby, was most generous in his talk to us about there our ship was and I was amazed by how apologetic he was for not being able to bring the ship to our doorstep! In reality, his good will is so thrilling that I am still in shock we’ve managed to get not just one boat but ten boats to take part in this adventure.

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i. Grammar: After discussions with Roget, we confidently accept ‘duffle’ spelt with ‘el’ or ‘le’. ii. Etymology: The name ‘duffel’ comes from a town in Belgium where the thick cloth, used to make the bag originated. iii. Knots: A slip knot is used to secure our poems in our duffle bag. (see illustration). iv. MONDAY 19th October at MIDDAY – add your poems in person to our West Coast duffle bag going on board the Vessel Kimberley Rose,  berthed at: No 11 berth, North Quay Fremantle, Gate Entrance is on Napier Road, off Tydeman Road, Opposite The Railway Hotel. v. Events: One poet, Paul, arrived at Port Kembla on Wednesday and spent the day hunting for the duffle bag into which he was to deposit his poem. Paul called to the waves, asked all the mariners, shouted out at the ships but no one could find the bag – because it isn’t there. So, to remind you : Port Kembla departure is on Sunday October 25th at 11AM. If you can’t join our live event you can submit your poems to: Kel Dillon, General Manager Marine & Port Operations & Harbour Master, Port Kembla Port Corporation. Level 3, 91 Foreshore Road.

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Tides later and the duffle bag of poems has arrived safely in Melbourne. Master Robert Bailey of the M.V. Victorian Reliance journeyed  through the night waters with our bag and, on the way, even penned some poems with his crew. These poems will be included in our final collection.

We invited media to profile the handover but, if they did, it seems they were more thin than the wind as we couldn’t see them. The reduced crowd at the Melbourne arrival, however, meant an impromptu invitation to visit on board, with the Master.

With lemon safety vests and poems close to our chests we entered the ship’s body, so huge it can fit trucks, farms, families and an infinity of sea echo. Petra White was the center of our attention for she had come to deliver her exquisite poem, written for our project. Petra made her stage in the control room. The walls were glass and you could see sea and ships from all directions. The crew and visitors circled around Petra whilst the ship rocked gently as Petra read her poem. The event was also an opportunity for those present, including a school teacher with about ten poems by her students, to read their duffle bag submissions.

The next stage was that the Iron Monarch would sail the bag to Port Kembla. This is no longer possible as the duffle bag has torn itself and must be sewn together using expensive wires, before it can make the next leg of our journey. To allow the bag time to convalesce we are holding off on our Wednesday arrival and instead making the departure from Port Kembla, the focus event. The departure date will be on October 25th and if this date changes, you shall made aware.

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