Devon Meadows couple Ben Diwell and Kim Duke are relieved to be home after experiencing the terror of the recent Bali bombings. Picture: Stewart Chambers.By Alison Noonan
WHAT began as “the best holiday ever” turned into a nightmare for a young Devon Meadows couple caught in Bali.
Ben Diwell and his fiance Kim Duke are relieved to be safe on home soil after fleeing Saturday’s devastating blasts, which killed at least 19 people and injured more than 120.
The pair, in Bali for the first time on a two week holiday, was shopping in a mall just half a kilometre from the bomb that tore through Raja’s Bar and Restaurant in Kuta.
Oblivious to the attacks, they left the mall to find scenes of chaos on the streets, Mr Diwell said.
“We didn’t realise what had happened,” he said.
“Believe it or not, we didn’t hear anything until we stepped out on to the street and someone told us a bomb had gone off.
“Everyone was scattering out of town. It was chaotic.”
Mr Diwell said panic set in as they hailed a taxi to head back to their hotel room.
“We were really worried for our safety,” he said.
“We just wanted to get out of there. It was freaky.
“The traffic was crazy. Normally people are going into Kuta on Saturday night, but everyone was going in the opposite direction.”
Already booked to fly back to Australia that night, Mr Diwell said the usual 10minute trip to the airport took more than half an hour.
“It was bumper to bumper traffic,” he said.
“Everyone was trying to get out of there as quickly as possible. I’m a volunteer with the local CFA and I’ve experienced a lot of things, but I have never felt that concerned about my safety before.”
Mr Diwell said he didn’t feel safe until the plane touched down in Melbourne on Sunday morning.
“As soon as I stood on Australian soil again I just said ‘we’re home’. We were safe. I couldn’t sleep on the plane. It was always on my mind. We just wanted to get home,” he said.
Mr Diwell said although he and his fiance had fallen in love with the island during their stay, he did not think he could ever return.
“We had our best holiday. We absolutely loved it. The atmosphere was brilliant and the Balinese are the nicest people you will ever meet.
“The whole holiday we said we would definitely come back, but it just hurts too much,” he said
Mr Diwell said it was upsetting to think of the devastation the latest bombing would have on the Balinese people, who were only just beginning to recover from the 2002 attack.
“I really hope it doesn’t, but I think this will cripple them because they rely on our dollar. All the wonderful people we met over there will lose their jobs and it shouldn’t happen. It’s just not right,” he said.
“It’s not them doing it. It really sucks.”
