The recent deluge of negative press involving Australians in Bali has not turned people off holidaying on the resort island, but most are taking extra precautions.
"Every aperture of our luggage has a padlock on it," said Ken Postill of Sydney, who is spending six days in Bali with his
wife Joanne and two young children.
Friends had warned them off coming because of a common perception in Australia that Schapelle Corby had been unfairly treated by the Indonesian justice system.
Prosecutors last week demanded a Bali court sentence Corby to life in prison for alleged drug smuggling.
The 27-year-old Gold Coast woman claims someone planted 4.1kg of marijuana in her luggage between Brisbane and Denpasar.
The Postills, who arrived two days after nine other Australians were arrested for drug offences, said they had received emails asking them to support Corby by signing a petition and even boycotting travel to Bali.
Mrs Postill said: "But we wanted to bring the kids here as an eye-opener, to give them a bit of a culture shock."
Perth resident Quentin Burr, who brought his 15-year-old daughter to Bali, believed Corby had been unfairly treated, but he never considered boycotting Bali.
"But the Balinese need us, they're still suffering a bit after the (2002) bombing, so we just made sure we padlocked our luggage and took extra precautions."
Some parents said they had also been concerned by news that two hotels in the resort area of Nusa Dua had been the site of alleged sexual abuses against two Australian children several years ago.
"That's one of the reasons I haven't put (10-year-old) Kelly into any kid's club," Mrs Postill said. "I couldn't leave the kids to go out at night, I'm not prepared to take that risk."
- AAP
