Forget the spying controversy, Australia-Indonesia relations
are more people-to-people connections rather than rigid
government-to-government relations, as pundits often argue.
Want more proof in the field? Just visit Kuta or Legian in Bali. For
most young people in Australia, spending their school holidays in Bali
has been their utmost dream.
For many months, they diligently save their pocket money to buy tickets
to Bali to spend several weeks on the island.
Last weekend, hundreds of youths from Australia were spotted at the
Ground Zero site in Legian to remember Australians who died during the
2002 bombing at the location.
Others walked along Legian’s narrow streets to enjoy the nightlife in
the area.
“We were saving hard and working part-time in order to get the money for
the year-end holidays,” said Jarrot, who saved A$2,000 (US$1,819) for
his holiday in Bali.
Jarrot said he loved the nighttime in Kuta and Legian but also traveled
to cultural sites across the island to learn more about Balinese culture
and its people.
Paul Mergard from Red Frogs, an Australian non-profit organization
helping youths for the last 17 years, said he was expecting that these
Australian teenagers would behave properly while holidaying on the
island, especially when relations between the two countries were going
through a rocky period.
The Red Frogs’ booth was established near Ground Zero with 31 volunteers
ready to help Aussie youths traveling in Bali with cultural and social
orientation, medical assistance, general advice and many other things.
In Australia, the Red Frogs actively provide information on Bali, its
culture and people to young people in the country and to schools.
“Bali has more than just a glittering night life. The island’s rich
culture and tradition and the people are there to be explored deeply in
order to increase understanding about different cultures,” he
said.