Dreamland 18th July 2008
Swell is dissipating fast. Bondi has a weak 1-2 footer that will have dissappeared by the time you read this email. Not worth surfing unless you’re a beginner. The weekend looks…well…flat…yawn…pass the crumpets.
kelly is just not human.
Kelly Slater just defeated Mick Fanning (current World Champ) to win the JBay Billabong Pro in South Afirca. He’s making it look all too easy as Slater combos Mick in the opening minutes of the final. Kelly barely surfed before this event in Bali – yet he’s in fine form. Looks like 9 world titles for the man. Watch the final where Mick had trouble finding any form boggin’ rails all over the place.
dreamland – bali.
Last weekend I visited a little beautiful beach called ‘Dreamland‘ in Bali. In my opinion its one of the biggest attractions on Bali. I am not talking the best waves on Bali – as its probably one of the worst breaks up there – usually crowded with 1st timers – fat – slow – then turns in a torturous neck breaking shorey. Hell – it barely breaks on the high tide unless it’s a big swell.
But the beach at Dreamland is quite incredible – magical. A small hill coated in traditional Warungs (huts) is crowded with friendly locals. The place has a casual vibe, things are slow, the sand is clean and white, the water is so blue it looks like a postcard and any given Sunday in August you’ll think you’re on Ibiza with half of Europe.
Our daily routine was surf the reefs, rock on down to Dreamland for a spot of lunch, swim, and well just hang out until sunset whilst sipping a few ‘Tangs.
Well, sadly, it looks like those days are coming to an end. Bali is in full development mode. Everyone is building something and there is a MASSIVE slab of concrete (kinda resembling a resort) being built right on Dreamland. All the warungs are gone, the hill has been shaved in half to make more room for the resort, carparks, walkways, signs, regulations – eeck.
Anyway, it is one of the saddest developments on the island (also called ‘New Kuta’ just to confuse you with ‘Kuta’) – soon this little beach gem will be for resort guests only and the Bintangs will be $10US instead of 80 cents. If you’re going to Bali this season – soak up that Dreamland whilst they’re still building the resort.
zee aquabumps gallery
The aquabumps gallery is open ALL weekend 10am to 4pm. Since there is no surf, come see some waves. 98 Brighton Boulevard North Bondi right behind the North Bondi RSL. map
Comments
Bondi Gallery Artworks
151 Curlewis Street, Bondi Beach. View Map.Telephone +61 2 9130 7788
10am to 6pm Open 7 days a week
Recent Daily Photo Updates
Most Popular Posts
Latest News
- 11th February 2013
Summer Moments presented by PERONIAquabumps a stylish celebration of all things water based captures the local beaches of Sydney's Eastern Suburbs Tamarama and Bondi, peak summer time. Paying virtue to Australians love of the ... - 17th October 2012
Christmas at the Aquabumps Gallery, BondiHowdy. Thanks for stopping by. Christmas time is hectic at the Aquabumps Gallery. We love that. Our gallery has a large variety of artworks available on any kind of budget. ... - 18th September 2012
Surfing Port MacquarieHere's a few notes on our recent trip to Port Macquarie. - 14th September 2012
Staff wanted in Aquabumps GalleryYes, we're hiring. If you fit this job description, send in your CV (don't just come in) - 1st July 2012
Singapore Airlines Inflight MagazineCheck out Aquabumps in Singapore Airlines Inflight Magazine July 2012
Most Read
Thursday, 22nd November 12
Friday, 11th January 13
Friday, 18th January 13
Friday, 19th October 12
Wednesday, 9th January 13
Find A Report
- 2012
- December 2012
- November 2012
- October 2012
- September 2012
- August 2012
- July 2012
- June 2012
- May 2012
- April 2012
- March 2012
- February 2012
- January 2012
- 2011
- December 2011
- November 2011
- October 2011
- September 2011
- August 2011
- July 2011
- June 2011
- May 2011
- April 2011
- March 2011
- February 2011
- January 2011
- 2010
- December 2010
- November 2010
- October 2010
- September 2010
- August 2010
- July 2010
- June 2010
- May 2010
- April 2010
- March 2010
- February 2010
- January 2010
- 2009
- December 2009
- November 2009
- October 2009
- September 2009
- August 2009
- July 2009
- June 2009
- May 2009
- April 2009
- March 2009
- February 2009
- January 2009
- 2008
- December 2008
- November 2008
- October 2008
- September 2008
- August 2008
- July 2008
- June 2008
- May 2008
- April 2008
- March 2008
- February 2008
- January 2008
- 2007
- December 2007
- November 2007
- October 2007
- September 2007
- August 2007
- July 2007
- June 2007
- May 2007
- April 2007
- March 2007
- February 2007
- January 2007
- 2006
- December 2006
- November 2006
- October 2006
- September 2006
- August 2006
- July 2006
- June 2006
- May 2006
- April 2006
- March 2006
- February 2006
- January 2006
Hot Topics
 |
||||
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Don't steal stuff from this site ©2013 COPYRIGHT - All Rights reserved
THE AQUABUMPS GALLERY :: 151 Curlewis Street, Bondi Beach NSW 2026 Australia Telephone +61 2 9130 7788 or CONTACT US
Axel said |
those photos of the building really piss me off. Its a real shame they are building that
Peter English said |
Uge – it makes me weep…!
I’m up there next week, on route to Sumba. What with the leaking wreck at PP and this down the reef, the Bukit is under siege !
Mel said |
The state of Dreamland is heartbreaking – it was unarguably one of the best things about Bali.
Its worth thinking about mentioning who/what is driving this change – its a good opportunity to raise awareness of such issues in Indonesia with some of the more white-bread eating, ravesi’s frequenting, financial sector working, Sam debrito reading, self obsessed subscribers.
Such a shame in a country where 16% of the population live below the povery line.
Totally understand if you don’t think that this is your role – as I’m sure you make enough people’s day on a regular basis with your posts
Gary said |
This is probably the most depressing email I have had from you in the last 3 years.
Those Indo’s surely know how to wreck a beautiful place in one swoop; they really have no idea.
I was planning to go to Bali in Sept and hang out at Dreamlands for a week, might have to re-think that one now!
Thanks for the heads up anyway.
Jude said |
Oh My God!!!
I remember surfing here in 97/98 and there were no warungs!
Hayden said |
I’ve been getting your mails for quite a few years now and am a mate of Coops from Epics.
Normally don’t respond to automails but just had to say something about Dreamland.
I totally understand your thoughts on the place – hey it was the best little hideyhole on the Bukit and a great place to just kick back and watch the world go by. Fun little waves at times and great views from the top of the hill. Although getting up and down it was a bit of work but just added to the place. That and Belangun are some of my favorite areas to be at.
Seeing your photos on what they’ve done to the hill there really saddens me not only for Bali – but for the fact of what’s sacred anymore?
I can imagine that the locals in the area have probably got b*gger all out of just like when they carved up the land on the way in to the area a couple of years ago and they probably just figure there gonna make the big $$$ out of it.
As surfers I think we really understand how good the place is – the water, the locals, the natural beauty of the place. I just hope that it doesn’t change the magic of it forever…..
Know progress is inevitable but that is a sad day indeed. I know it’s the Balineses’ homeland but as a surfer it’s almost like descreating a sacred site. Once the developers have done their work, made their money and moved on it’ll just be another building with people that will never understand the simple beauty of the place.
Anyway that’s my rant.
Cheers for the mails
Aaron “Mindo” Mindel said |
Eugene–thanks for the photo heads up on the destruction of Dreamland. What a shame.
After surfing Kuta for a while I had a few days stay there right before the Sari Club bombing in 02 and found it to be truly magical. It was just out of the way enough between Kuta and Ulu’s–while not the best of breaks (it did have a sweet little right in a land of lefts) it was just as nice being beached there as it was in the lineup and I had my fair share of fun. The warungs were just perfect–the concrete absolutely dispicable.
I hope the Balinese can figure out a way to keep some of the magic as the economy grows. Reponsible surf travelers are a part of that. Keep the brilliance coming–enjoy your trip and score some for the rest of us.
Cheers,
Aaron
Sam de Brito said |
But I eat wholegrain bread, Mel.
Luke said |
Jude said | 2 weeks agoOh My God!!!
I remember surfing here in 97/98 and there were no warungs!
We tramped in there in 1980 from the quarry up the back of the hill – thought we found Bingin (but probably didn’t; we were young & having fun!).
I’m going up tomorrow with wife and kids… 4 years ago my family thought it was great. Dunno what I’ll think now.
It’s sad, but Bali changes every time you go back, but we have to keep going back, because ‘Bali’ doesn’t really change.
You can’t go there and not have a good time!
gerry said |
Eug,
I’ve spend two holidays staying for 10 days at Dreamland in the warung at the top of the hill, in the centre of your photo, the one with the awsome views up the coast to Impossibles. When I was last there two years ago I could see where the development had been pegged out and it goes way bigger than what you show, almost all the way across the headland to Balangan. I wonder who owns this dedvelopment, the orginal bg dfevelopemnt at Dreamland was by Tommy Soeharto but that collapsed when he got banged up. No doubt these will be be very nice apartments and if I could afford to buy one I probably would. But personally I’d rather sit on my ropy wooden deck having fried chicken and cold Binmtang and listening to the Guns n Roses CD compilation of the house boy played again and again every night. And for the record the wave at Dreamland is not as bad as you make out, on decent swells this wave breaks a good 100m +. Agree about the vicious shorey though!
Andre Gato said |
Beware. It’s not the Indo’s destroying Dreamland, it’s all those american capitalists. Best Western’s, etc allt hose international hotel chains…
mellie said |
What a shame! I feel like a large portion of Bali’s heart has been ripped out. This corporisation of beaches and special locations pisses me off.
Tom said |
…The worst is: they never actually finished building the shithole! Now we hava a ruin on Deramland and noone raises an Eybrow because of it’s owner (Tommy Soeharto, in case you didn’t know).
Check this out (bottom left paragraph) – IT’S A CLASSIC published in Garuda’s in-flight magazine:
http://susijohnston.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/page30.jpg
mellie said |
convicted murderer? oh my lol. So it is still sitting there? unfinished?