The Batcave

G'day from the largest coal port on the planet. Newcastle is home to the Batcave, a cool activist house by the beach. Its a huge old bond storage basement of now yuppie flats half buried into the ground with 'rooms' partitioned off with old banners, and bits of carpet. It means half the rooms, and the 'corridors' are very, very dark. A big population of Crows live in the park outside so there is the constant cackling awww awww to add to the batcave feel.



There's an always busy ping-pong table in the kitchen/lounge, canoes & boats and props from actions stuffed into dark corners, wet-suits hanging by the windows and a stack of surfboards by the front door. And get this.. there is a photocopier sat in the lounge.. and it actully works!



Regular banner making, meetings and cooking up of vast quantities of soup to take out to events means it a busy place. Random activist households around the world are great, used to a transient population, communal food where you chip in, new friends and a place you can chill out and be more than a guest.... you can just be.



I'm rapidly becoming a 'bat', so I better split soon before I need to pay rent!



Newcastle Rising Tide have are still rocking.... check out the latest pics from our Midwinter 'Stroll against Coal' through town.. and take a look at the cop with some serious 'look at the size of my baton' issues. http://www.flickr.com/photos/cookielovescake/sets/ 'Stroll against coal'





Oh, and probably one of the most disgusting websites I have seen for a long time: www.coalcandothat.com