AN ARARAT family has decided to stay in Bali on holiday for another two weeks after a powerful earthquake that rocked the Indonesian tourist island.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Daryl and Karen Chaplin and their family were walking back to their Kuta accommodation after dinner when the magnitude seven quake shook Bali and Lombok on Sunday night.
The earthquake hit 27 kilometres north-east of northern Lombok at a 15-kilometre depth about 6.46pm Jakarta time (9.46pm AEST).
It left more than 100 people dead – many from northern and western parts of Lombok.
Thousands of people were evacuated.
RELATED: Indonesian quake toll rises to 131
Daryl said the impact was sudden – but it was not immediately obvious the event was an earthquake.
“Everyone was yelling and we didn’t know what was going on. We thought a bomb was going off, or a terrorist attack,” Darryl said.
“We went into a local shop … then we felt the road moving and everything was shaking.
“After it was over, we went back to our resort and my son Aaron went for a swim.
“A half-hour later there was another small one, then we were told to be on alert for a tsunami (but) the local government (later) downgraded it.”
Daryl said the family experienced a sleepless night but were safe and would continue their holiday.
“We had a sleepless night but there was no more activity in Kuta – thank God. We are all safe and well and we will continue our holiday in this beautiful place,” he said.
“Thank you to all our friends for your concerns – we are all safe.”
Daryl said the family were due to return home to Ararat late in August.
“We were so scared and we didn’t know what to do – either try to get home, or stay. So we decided to stay and we are glad we did,” he said.
“The local people and our friends in Kuta have been so good and helpful.”
The epicentre of the quake was the northern slope of Mount Rinjani, near where the previous quake struck a week prior. The area continued to be rattled by aftershocks.
Indonesia's BMKG, the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency, says 20 aftershocks were recorded up to 20.40pm local time.
The earthquake was felt in Mataram – the capital of West Nusa Tenggara province – and Bima.
Lesser shakes were felt in Denpasar, Kuta, Karangasam (in Bali) and in parts of East Java.
Another earthquake hit the area on Thursday afternoon, registering a magnitude of 6.2.