Favourite holiday destination Bali claims Australian life every nine days

Tourists enjoy themselves at a Bali nightclub. Source: Herald Sun

AN Australian dies in Bali every nine days on average and hundreds more need consular help while in the nation's favourite overseas holiday destination.

Australian consular officials say alcohol and drugs fuel many of the accidents and nightclub fights that are among the biggest causes of trouble for thousands of Aussies.

Information released to the Herald Sun by the Foreign Affairs Department reveals 39 Australians died in Bali in 2011-12.

Another 93 sought consular help in hospital, while 36 were arrested, 18 jailed and eight needed support after being attacked.

The consulate is advised of all deaths but refused to detail their causes for privacy reasons.

It is advised of hospital admissions and arrests only where those involved seek to have Australian officials contacted.

Neither Bali's main Sanglah Hospital nor its police headquarters could say how many Australians were admitted or arrested in the past year.

"The most common reasons for illness or hospitalisation amongst young people who travel to Bali are injuries due to motorbike (scooter) accidents and nightclub fights," a DFAT spokesman said.

He said traffic accidents were the biggest cause of deaths after natural causes or existing conditions.

The spokesman cautioned that many people involved in scooter accidents failed to realise that travel insurance covers the rider and any passenger only if the rider holds a valid motorbike licence.

He said lack of insurance, lack of coverage for existing illnesses or cash to pay medical bills were also key reasons Australians sought consular help.

"We have recently seen a marked increase in cases involving young male travelers, 20-30, with mental health issues," he said.

Consular officials are regularly called on by Australians who have overstayed their tourist visas and it is also common for Australians to be reported missing, often when travelers fail to report a change in circumstances to fellow travelers.

The Aussies arrested in 2011-12 were all men, aged 18-65, for offences ranging from drugs and fights to domestic violence and thefts.

-  Herald Sun