Day 1 (Friday 10th March): New Views

After a four hour road trip from Canberra, my arrival at the Blue Mountains was one of anticipation, excitement, and to be honest, exhaustion. The 80’s rock ballads and bags of chips got me and my ANU crew through the drive, I was surprised by the new surge of energy that came with meeting all the Fossil Free activists from around Australia and New Zealand. Being greeted by the smiles and enthusiasm of my fellow activists, I knew I was in good company. Right from the beginning, with the sharing of volunteer shifts and the heroes that helped me set up my tent, it already seemed like we were in this together. The sense of togetherness and the importance of our movement really came to light with an incredibly moving welcome ceremony by Chris, a local Darug man, as we reflected on the richness and sense of belonging in indigenous culture that we want to preserve in our fight for climate justice. By the end of the day, I already felt inspired by the people and place surrounding me.