When surfers began exploring Uluwatu in the 70’s, I bet they never envisioned that years later it would look like it does now. Back then it was nothing but dirt roads and jungle, with the odd bamboo hut to seek shelter from the sweltering Indo sunshine.
Fast forward to 2024 and our social media feeds are plagued with videos of heavy machinery tearing apart the cliffs of Uluwatu.
Earlier this month we reported that the picturesque cliffs at Ulus, synonymous with surfing in Bali, could be on their last legs as footage emerged of demolition work being carried out by the Indonesian government as part of a project to build a proposed 25-metre sea wall and coastal road in order to protect the nearby Pura Luhur Temple.
Earlier this year the Indonesian Government announced a 78.6 billion rupiahs, roughly $5 million USD, project to protect the ancient Pura Luhur Temple which is currently at threat due to a crack along the southern cliff face.
As part of the project, disturbing CGI footage emerged of plans to build a concrete seawall around the base of the Uluwatu cliffs, as well as a coastal access road which encroaches on a number of Uluwatu’s surf spots. Videos captured by locals in the area show the cliff face being rapidly torn apart by machinery and dumped into the ocean.
The Australian and New Zealand Surf Film Archive have just released footage on YouTube titled ‘Road To Perfection, Uluwatu – Beyond Blazing Boards (1985)’ which acts as a timely reminder of the tranquil surf heaven Uluwatu once was.
While development at places like Uluwatu was always inevitable given the world class waves on offer, it’s a sad state of affairs to think that the wave, reef and all that lies underneath could be damaged by the ongoing construction.
Click the link above to watch Uluwatu in a different light to the one we know now.
