Beaches Closed in Bali…Again
With the arrival of the Delta Covid-19 variant, the heaviest lockdown yet is in effect on Bali. Beach closures, restaurants, and bars closed, essential businesses shut by 8pm and anyone caught not wearing a mask is now risking deportation.
“It’s wild,” says White Monkey Surf Shop owner Pete Matthews, “Worst yet. Mason just split and I am still hosting Ian Crane and Crosby Colapinto.
The big tourist beaches are closed, but the out of way spots can still be surfed, but that’s about it. The current lockdown is currently in place until July 20th.
Kuta Beach...empty again
Yet despite all this, there is good news. Project Nasi, the grassroots aid organisation founded by Aussie surfers Sam Mahony and James Foley on Bali, are still tirelessly helping the neediest of locals get through this pandemic. In the past year Project Nasi has managed to provide over 280,000 meals to those who need it most. And with the latest and strictest lockdown to date on tap, conditions on the island feel like early 2020.
Despite the current lockdown, they have expanded their operations to Bali’s sister island of Nusa Lembongan. This new wave of restrictions has caused a dire need for baby food and supplies and also supplies for the elderly. Partnering with the Nusa Lembongan Boardriders Club, project Nasi is currently organising boatlifts of badly needed supplies.
Nusa Lembongan Boardriders Club with supplies to be divvied out
“Our boardriders club has stepped to the front of this emergency,” says the Boardriders Club’s president Komo Wilson, “We are such a small and humble island, but so many surfers have come and enjoyed our waves over the years. We are hoping now they will help our young and old that are in need of so much”.
The NLBC focuses on community needs, organising and delivering the food and supplies once they hit the beach. “It’s heartbreaking sometimes to hear of the peoples trouble,” continues Komo, “But us local surfers are working hard to keep everybody healthy and fed”.
It's all got to get there by boat
The Project Nasi boat operations have been a challenge, and daily deliveries are becoming harder to manage with dwindling supplies. “We are just a small operation,” says co-founder James Foley, “and it may seem like we are just a drop in the bucket. But it is those drops that eventually fill buckets. We hope any surfer out there that has ever surfed Nusa Lembongan will donate so we can keep our boatlift ops cranking”.
Project Nasi contributes 100% of all donations directly to the cause.
It’s easy to donate, just visit their GoFundMe page or you can donate via Paypal at this page.
Comments
So heavy that Mason has been affected by the inconvenience. Thoughts and prayers.
Nice bit of sarcasm, beats me why he even mentioned the surf shop owners devastating situation.
The Lembongan Board Riders and Project Nasi work is the real heartening part of his report.
"Nice bit of sarcasm, beats me why he even mentioned the surf shop owners devastating situation.
The Lembongan Board Riders and Project Nasi work is the real heartening part of his report."
that was an odd little interlude wasn't it?
some very awkward name dropping
should I know who mason is?
anyway, I hope he pulls through
Media Training 101, fellas.
Apparently the lockdown/Covid situation in Bali is the worst it's been. A surfer of renown got out in time and couple of others didn't and seem to be stuck there.
I was trying to figure out exactly how I should winge about this but I got schooled.
Bow to your Sensei.
Mason had some fun at Deserts..
This fella just leaves himself open to people taking the piss don’t he?
On a serious note good on the people behind Project Nasi
Really. 70 out at Ulu today.
Just makes me think, though it sucks balls we cant travel, might just be easier to stay put until this shit gets sorted out.
Save some thoughts and prayers for Ian and Crosby also blowin. Poor blokes
Bali’s looking like the 70’s and 80’s and with the Barren Streets and Beaches the Destructive Effect of Tourism on Bali over 40 years has been Laid Bare. Sad Really.
Except there's about 85 people surfing Uluwatu on a very average looking day in the 'insta' clip above. (Plus fuck knows how many hanging in the cliff top mini city watching/waiting/waxing up)
So yeah/nah.....not really like the 70's or 80's
It’d be like the 70’s in that you’re much more likely to get crook eating at a restaurant than you were pre Covid.
Not hard to imagine all the chefs in Bali, struggling to make ends meet , looking through their fridges thinking “ I reckon I can get another few days out of that suspect fish”. High turnover is your friend when it comes to restaurants.
Don’t even get me started on the illnesses that’ll be going down when Bali reopens to the masses and they restart all those Air cons which ever sat idle for a couple of years…
Or bringing those mothballed planes back into service.
Got a bit sidetracked there. Sorry.
Been following the SOB (surfers of bali)page on Facebook since Covids been around and anyone would think it doesnt exist. Packed padang( Kelly included) ultra crowded bata balong and Keramas with the usual local suspects. Shit even JOB has been there
Been following the SOB (surfers of bali)page on Facebook since Covids been around and anyone would think it doesnt exist. Packed padang( Kelly included) ultra crowded bata balong and Keramas with the usual local suspects. Shit even JOB has been there
Still having trouble understanding how individuals from COVID riddled nationals like the USA believe it's ok to visit places like the Mentawai Islands where indigenous tribes live. Have heard from a trusted source that crew from charter boats and resorts have spread it through villages there. Without any medical infrastructure the locals are getting smoked. I can only think how cranky all us old grumps would be if we had international tourism coming into our communities at the moment.
lol its not hard to understand at all, they are the most selfish bunch on the entire planet
The paypal link doesnt seem to work. It feels good to donate to these guys, well done. Nice to give back to such a friendly nation.
Cleanest the water and beach has looked at Kuta for many years
My thoughts exactly!
Any news on the pollution situation lately?
Would love to get word from someone on the ground there.
Last time I was in Kuta (swore I would never return) there were piles of used thongs, nappies and plastic on the beach. It was off season and the onshore had pushed all the crap onto the beach.
Even took a long hike south and east from G Land the following May expecting pristine paradise but was instead greeted by piles of thongs and plastic washed up on the beach.
Hopefully Covid will give the environment a chance to recover, but this optimist remains pessimistic on this one.
And yes, thoughts and prayers go out to all the unfortunate Seppo pros stuck in such treacherous circumstances. May God help them get to another sheraton hotel unscathed!
And it flows onto Christmas and Cocos islands
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-07-06/christmas-island-tackles-plastic…
https://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2019-05-17/cocos-islands-millions-p…
Arnhem land https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/sep/06/seven-tonnes-of-mar…
Daily Fecal discharge into ocean way down.
Those huge Hotels with olympic pool size holding tanks emptying raw sewage into ocean at night is so farkn wrong !
You don’t like seeing batfish leading happy lives?
You guys aren't really selling me on Bali with these stories
We could of 30 years ago
That’s ‘could have’, Robo. ;-)
Wouldn’t be a Matt George article without a healthy dollop of name dropping to start with
Never heard of him till seeing his stories in here.
a surfshop owner in one paragraph makes himself out to be total wanker , well done
as for pro surfers being stuck in Bali? doesnt seem like they have a problem getting there so surely their owners can get them out? really struggling to feel any sympathy to westerners holidaying (and not being able to surf -poor things) in the third world when its in such a fucked situation