Meet Raptor Blood. Well… sort of. ‘Become acquainted with his alias’ might be a better way to put it, because (surprisingly) that’s actually not the name assigned to him at birth.
Raptor Blood contacted us with an ah-mazing photographic collection of an exploration group who shack up in Sydney’s disused water drains, known as The Cave Clan.
Srlsy.
He’s been taking photos of the group for a few years, originally meeting Clan members via Flickr.
“They gave me a scenic tour that included intricate details about the tunnel architecture. Although, at some points I got kind of nervy considering it was about 1am, and I was literally six feet under with two dudes I’d met over the Internet,” he told P.TV.
Who *are* these mysterious, flighty folk, exactly?
“The Cave Clan explore places most wouldn’t think of venturing, but they don’t limit themselves to natural environments. I’ve heard of members living in [the underground tunnels] for short periods of time, too; people seem to come and go.”
We asked Raptor to elaborate but, due to the tenuous legality of these tunnel homes, nitty gritty details such as their location in Sydney’s drain network need to remain a mystery.
However, he was happy to give P.TV a little insight into his experiences with the group, and open our eyes a little to the lives of the Clan members.
“Sydney is a concrete jungle built on top of underground tunnels and chambers, which are pretty big and now nearly completely dry. Down there, it’s quite cool in summer and warm enough in winter.”
“The space is pretty tight and lifting couches through narrow passages and tunnels wouldn’t be easy. They’re working with less space than my bedroom.”
“I was amazed at what’s down there; it’s kind of unbelievable when you think about it.”
“There’s electricity hooked up down there too, and all sorts of creature comforts. You can see a projector in one of the photos!”
“Although, I’ve heard about people being kicked out, I feel that this photo I took of the note sums up the [legal] situation.”
The note reads: ‘FUCK! A guy from town council came and said he would call the pigs/cops. He said he would give us a week – Friday 12:00′.
We reached out to Sydney Water for comment and a spokesperson said that, while they have no knowledge of the Clan, “anyone living in any kind of drain, whether in use or not, would be a safety concern.”
The last word belongs to Raptor himself, though: “If [the homes] are dry, safe and kept clean I don’t see why there would be a problem with anybody crashing there.”
Images/story via Raptor Blood. For more of his photos, visit his Tumblr.
