Kiwis still on island despite warnings

New Zealanders in Bali had taken a calculated risk in holidaying there despite official travel advice warning terrorists might strike, Foreign Minister Phil Goff said yesterday.

About 1500 New Zealanders were thought to have been in Bali, the number boosted by the school holidays.

"I don't stand in judgment of people who choose to go," he said.

"People become a little bit complacent. The alert has been at quite a high level for a period of time."

Mr Goff said New Zealand had not received any advice in recent days about a specific attack planned for Bali, despite British media reports suggesting Australia had just received fresh information.

New Zealand's official travel advisory issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade has told people since June not to go to Indonesia or Bali because of an "ongoing serious risk of terrorist attack".

It said there had been reports that terrorists were in the advanced stages of planning an attack.

Mr Goff said travel advisories were not directives and decisions about travelling remained an area of personal responsibility.

He said it was the Government's responsibility to ensure its advice was as accurate as possible.

There were also fresh warnings in Australia late last month about the risk of an attack. Its official travel warning is similar to New Zealand's, and after being updated yesterday it said anyone afraid for their safety should consider leaving Bali.

It said Australia continued to "receive a stream of credible" information that attacks were planned.

Prime Minister Helen Clark offered Indonesia help yesterday after the bombings.

Mr Goff said the bombings would hit Bali's tourism industry and Indonesia's economy, already badly affected by rising world oil prices.

"The tragedy of what the terrorists do is they damage the livelihoods of the people in the country."

Mr Goff said there were no plans to evacuate New Zealanders from Bali.

He said further attacks could never be ruled out.

House of Travel retail director Brent Thomas said most people travelling to Bali were couples and singles who did not see it as a risk.

"We haven't been promoting it as a destination in light of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs warnings."

He said House of Travel organised trips if people asked and the great deals were an attraction.

"You find you can get five-star resorts at very cheap rates," Mr Thomas said.

House of Travel knew of 96 customers in Bali and 101 booked to travel there in the next two weeks.

Harvey World Travel senior consultant Carole Hamilton said New Zealanders had started returning to Bali after the 2002 bombings, taking up offers which could see them get flights and accommodation for about $1000.

She believed the latest attack would see people turn away again.

The Flight Centre said it was extending its two-week cancellation period for those who wanted to change their plans without penalty.

Communications director John McGuinness said more than 100 of its clients had plans to travel to Bali in the next few weeks.

He said the number of New Zealanders going to Bali had strengthened in recent months and returned to pre-2002 levels.

He doubted that New Zealanders would be greatly shaken by the latest attacks.

New Zealanders had become inured to Government warnings, and even to bombings.

"We had no cancellations at all after the bombings in London and it just seems like New Zealanders have always been very hardy travellers and it seems like they're becoming even more so."

The Foreign Affairs travel advisory about Bali issued in June said:

* There are indications that terrorists may be in the advanced stages of planning further attacks in Indonesia.

* Such attacks could occur at any time, anywhere in Indonesia, including Bali.

* There is an ongoing serious risk of terrorist attack in Indonesia.

- additional reporting NZPA