Bali, for many Aussies, is like a second home. The popular island tourist destination usually welcomes over a million Australians every year, but with COVID-19, borders are shut and it may be a long while yet before we get to visit Kuta’s bars or go shopping in Seminyak. 

A young West Australian by the name of Jack Ahearn lives in Bali, and has taken to social media to highlight the struggles the island is facing due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 


Previous reports have highlighted the plight of the tourism-dependant island, which say Bali is losing up to $900 million a month. 

The devastating impact on once-thriving Kuta, the heart of the tourist hot-spot, is seen in videos on Mr Ahearn’s Facebook page. One video shows a luxury hotel filled with rubbish, with the lobby trashed and stripped bare and the pool full of green, slimy algae. 

Mr Ahearn travels through the down almost every day, and has seen first hand how much the area has deteriorated. 

“Every week there are more for sale signs, for rent signs, empty businesses and buildings — it’s nuts,” he said. “The videos and pictures I post don’t do justice to the feeling this place gives off now.”

“The only time I’ve seen it ‘busy’ since February is when there is a food hand out and families are lined up by the 100s.”

Mr Ahearn has been attempting to raise funds for struggling local families and businesses, running 6.5km every four hours for forty-right hours in June, and then running from the top of Bali to the bottom (Lovina to Canggu) in September. 

He raised over $20,000 AUD so far, which equates to 80,000 meals. 

He has also called on Aussies to support their favourite holiday guides, hotels or drivers. 

“If you have the means, reach out to your holiday driver you use or any Balinese you know and love. I’m sure they could use a $1 or $2,” he said. “It’s a long, long, long way away for places like Kuta to recover.” 


Previous reports have shown once thriving Kuta as a 'ghost town'. 

Bali had hopes of opening up several months ago, but a second wave of the virus quickly brought plans to a standstill. 

Unfortunately, WA Premier Mark McGowan quickly dismissed any holiday hopes, saying that he ‘can’t see Bali being an option until there’s a vaccine’.

Western Australians are some of Bali’s biggest fans, and flights to the island often dip below $200 return, making it a cheaper destination than the rest of Australia. 

Mr McGowan said the biggest threat to WA and the rest of Australia is the virus being brought in from overseas. 

“I’m very, very careful about the international borders” he said. “I don’t want us to open international borders until we are very, very sure. I just say to the commonwealth government, do not open up the international borders until such time that it’s safe, and that would mean a vaccine”.

Bali is usually packed with tourists, from all over the world.