Eco Warriors On Wheels
While acknowledging this new venture is a little out of the usual Canggu News demographic, this relatively new Ubud initiative most definitely rates a mention! Blue Bear Bali, located on Jalan Sayan, Ubud is a kids play park with a purpose. Like most youth centric recreation centres, Blue Bear is focused around getting kids off the computers and outside to play, however this particular kids zone comes with an environmental conscience.
Bali has seen some fantastic children’s activity parks popping up around the place in the last couple of years but few, if any are open to exchanging one’s trash for an entry ticket! Of course patrons are more than welcome to pay the minimal IDR 30K for a regular entry pass to Blue Bear Skate and Play Park but these guys actually encourage kids to trade their trash from home (or what they may find en route to the park) for a ticket to roll.
In an effort to address the ongoing plastic and pollution problem on the island and continue to educate and incentivise Bali youth to be globally aware and active eco warriors, all Blue Bear asks is for skaters to bring a minimum of 10 pieces of trash along and place it in the clearly labelled waste stations in exchange for a green wristband and two hour ticket to ride!
Bins for recyclables such as plastic bottles, plastic bags, glass, paper, cardboard and tetra packs are clearly marked for trash distribution. The waste is then collected by the area’s village waste management organisation named Sayan Hidup. Plastic is sold to Java with other items recycled in Bali. Since the program began on July 1, Blue Bear has witnessed a growing numbers of skaters come to visit and in one month alone the park collected almost a whopping 3000 plastic bottles – testament to the success of the program.
Blue Bear is a purpose built recreation centre comprising a skate park, fully supervised play area so parents can enjoy a little ‘me time’, KULT bar and cafe which features a fusion of local and Italian flavours and a stage perfect for live music! The cool bamboo structure, a striking feature of the property, is made entirely from environmentally sustainable items.
The skate park welcomes participants of all levels and abilities from ages 4 upwards ( 4-6 year olds must be accompanied by an adult) and their resident instructors are available to teach new tricks and turns. Skaters are welcome to bring their own gear or hire it at the park but helmets are mandatory and knee and shin pads strongly suggested for all rollers 17 years and under.
Blue Bear Bali was built with the whole family in mind. Not just a centre to drop the kids off to play, it encourages outdoor activities, social and cultural awareness and the idea that we are all part of a larger community. The safe, secure and family friendly play park is open from Tuesdays to Sundays from 10am to 8pm. Check out their Facebook page for weekly photo and event updates, their website:
www.bluebearbali.com for full details about park admission and skate lessons or you can drop in and see them on Jalan Raya Sayan, Ubud but don’t forget to take in your trash!
Footy Finals Fever Amps Up @ Finns
Grand Final weekend is an Aussie institution. A weekend when footy fans remain fixated to tv screens across the sunburnt country and beyond, each bearing witness to an on field battle between muscle bound men in skimpy shorts, engaged in some kind of brouhaha over an odd shaped ball! What’s not to love about that ladies!
Seriously though, whether you find yourself on Aussie shores or elsewhere on the last weekend in September, chances are you’ll be searching for somewhere to watch the big games. Yep! Batten down ball fans because there’s not just one, but two grand finals scheduled for Saturday, September 29 and Sunday, 30th. Even if you’re not that fussed on footy, odds are someone in your tribe is a fan so you might as well succumb to finals fun!
Landing yourself on the Island of the Gods over September’s finals weekend doesn’t mean you’ll miss any of the action either. Your home cable channel may not be televising the AFL and NRL grand finals but Finns is! Finals fever will take hold of Finns Recreation Club again this year and their lineup for this particular weekend is certainly not to be missed.
Doors open early on Saturday morning with coverage of AFL Grand Final fanfare from 8am then kickoff at 12 noon. With free entry for all, it’s fair to suggest there won’t be a bare bar stool for Grand Final day and advance bookings are advised to ensure your group doesn’t miss out on a table. Wherever you are seated at Finns for finals weekend, you’ll have no problem seeing the game with over forty screens spread throughout the Sports Bar, Bistro C, Strike Bar and Bali’s biggest outdoor LED screen right there on the sports field!
With all that yelling and yahooing for their favourite teams, footy fans tend to get hungry and foster a hefty thirst and in order to expedite service and keep customers satisfied, Finns is setting up a dedicated food and beer hall on the field. Keep your dry throat drenched with frosty beers from the outdoor bars and the Heineken beer promo – Buy 2, get 1 free! Their ‘Kick the Ball’ comp, live entertainment and of course, Splash Water Park should keep all ages entertained, or parents can ensure pint sized supporters stay safe and sound enjoying a few hours of fun at Cubby House Kids Club.
After AFL’s end game is over for another year, it’ll be time to call last drinks and duck home for a night’s rest before you join footy fans once again at Finns the very next day for the NRL Grand Final. Thankfully the latter schedules a later start so you can enjoy a lazy Sunday morning before sports action amps up again from 2pm.
Whether your team features as this year’s premiers or fizzes out in the prelims, the atmosphere is nevertheless electric at Finns over AFL and NRL Grand Final weekend. Fans form alliances despite earlier footy team preferences and a generous dose of lighthearted goading is taken in good stride by all. Join Bali’s own Geckos Football Team for footy finals fun this year at Finns Recreation Club. Book ahead with reservations@finnsbali.com to allay any disappointment. They might not be able to do much about your team’s performance, but they can certainly help to secure your seat in the heart of the action!
October UFC Clash Isn’t Just Business…It’s Personal!
If there’s one thing that will make the upcoming UFC clash on October 7 one to watch, it’s the ongoing argie bargie between these two opponents outside of the octagon! Las Vegas once again plays host to one of the biggest clashes of the year with the battle for the World Lightweight Championship between Irishman Conor McGregor and Russian born Khabib Nurmagomedov
(a name that’s difficult to spell correctly let alone pronounce so it’s no wonder fight billing tends to refer to him by first name only!)
Until earlier this year, the two rivals appeared to enjoy somewhat of a cordial rapport however those pleasantries all went pear shaped after an altercation involving McGregor, Khabib and a bus ensued in a Brooklyn carpark in April. Whether this may have be a cleverly orchestrated (and convincing!)publicity stunt intended to build excitement and push the two title holders toward announcing the October clash, or some genuine bad blood between the two champions, it sure makes for one hell of a fight. Clearly fight fans think so too as tickets to this grudge match sold out in less than three hours after initial release!
Not an issue for UFC lovers here in Bali though as Finns Recreation Club is showing every minute of Octagon action in a live telecast of the fight of the year from 10am on Sunday, October 7. Entry is free and everybody is welcome to come along for a bird’s eye view as Conor and Khabib battle it out at Las Vegas’ T Mobile Arena. View the fight from over 30 plasma screens throughout the Rec Club as well as their monster 8 m x 3 m LED screen which will be set up outside on the lawn. The coverage begins at 8am with outdoor bars for speedy drink service and of course the air conditioned sports bar for when things feel a little hot under the collar!
Bistro C’s kitchen will be open all day for punters to take advantage of breakfast, snacks, lunch…… and dinner if you’re planning on kicking on for a bit. Even if your’e the only UFC fan in the family, bring the rest of the tribe and keep them happy and out of your hair at Splash Waterpark, Bounce Trampoline Centre or Strike Indoor Bowling while you take advantage of some uninterrupted viewing time! Cubby House Kids Club is just a courtesy buggy ride away for any youngsters who require a tad more attention and entertaining.
With merely 60 days between the announcement of the clash and fight night early next month, the hype and hoopla has risen rapidly and many fight aficionados have fielded mixed reports as to who will have the upper hand…or foot for that matter! Will it be the Dagestan native with his unorthodox striking style and a title to defend? or the ‘Notorious’ Irishman – previous champion of not one, but two weight divisions before opting out of the octagon for a two year hiatus? Whether it comes down to a clash of styles, striking distance or takedown defence one thing is for certain, this World Lightweight UFC Championship will be one to watch because for Khabib and Conor, it’s not just business…. it’s personal. See the UFC title fight all unfold on screen, as it happens at Finns Recreation Club from 10am, Sunday, October 7. FINNSRECCLUB.COM