Teenage girls’ 25-hour Schoolies travel nightmare to Bali

A Schoolies trip to Bali to has turned into a nightmare for a bunch of teenage girls after the Mount Agung volcano erupted.

A group of nine school friends from St Clare’s College Waverley, in Sydney, had been eagerly anticipating their graduation holiday all year when they boarded their flight on Saturday.

But the six-and-a-half hour flight from Sydney to Bali turned into a 25-hour-long trip from hell for passengers on board Jetstar flight JQ37.

Tilly Paterson (left) and Emily Nicholson, both 18, were part of a group of nine girls heading to Bali to celebrate Schoolies when their flight was cancelled on Saturday

Emmi Payten, 18, was also a part of the Sydney girl group who were on board Jetstar flight JQ37 to Bali when they were redirected back to Australia

Emmi Payten, 18, was also a part of the Sydney girl group who were on board Jetstar flight JQ37 to Bali when they were redirected back to Australia

Indonesia's Mount Agung erupted last week, causing chaos for those living and traveling to the area 

Indonesia’s Mount Agung erupted last week, causing chaos for those living and traveling to the area 

The plane was forced to turn around just 90 minutes outside of Denpasar Airport, as ash and smoke erupting from Mount Agung posed a threat to the aircraft.

The flight then redirected to Darwin before then flying to Cairns, where passengers were forced to spend the night at the airport.

One of the teenage girls in the Schoolies group, 18-year-old Rosie Buman, told The Daily Telegraph her and her friends had each paid $800 to stay in a villa in Seminyak for a week.

‘We had been on the plane for five hours, and we got turned around to Darwin and we just sat on the runway for two hours,’ Ms Buman said on Sunday.

Jetstar flight JQ37 was redirected to Darwin before then flying to Cairns, where passengers were forced to spend the night at the airport 

Jetstar flight JQ37 was redirected to Darwin before then flying to Cairns, where passengers were forced to spend the night at the airport 

Emily and Tilly were part of a group of nine girls who had waited all year to fly to Bali for Schoolies

Emma was also part of the group from St Clare's College Waverley who had each paid $800 to spend a week in Seminyak for Schoolies

Emily, Tilly and Emma (left to right) were part of a group of nine girls from St Clare’s College Waverley who had each paid $800 to spend a week in Seminyak for Schoolies

After months of observation Mount Agung erupted on Tuesday, with grey ash spewing from the peak at 5.05pm local time

After months of observation Mount Agung erupted on Tuesday, with grey ash spewing from the peak at 5.05pm local time

With Schoolies underway, thousands of students have flocked to Indonesia or are expected to fly this week

With Schoolies underway, thousands of students have flocked to Indonesia or are expected to fly this week

‘There were 180 seats on the plane out of Cairns. They said the rest of us would just have to wait for tomorrow.’

Three of Ms Buman’s friends returned to Sydney, with hopes to fly to Bali immediately, but six were diverted to Melbourne.

While Jetstar announced flights to Bali were resuming on Sunday, many passengers have expressed their annoyance at the airline’s lack of communication.

Many were left stranded interstate, forced to pay for accommodation as they waited for their flights to be re-booked.

Many were left stranded interstate, forced to pay for accommodation as they waited for their flights to be re-booked

Many were left stranded interstate, forced to pay for accommodation as they waited for their flights to be re-booked

The Department of Foreign Trade is advising anyone travelling to Bali to always 'exercise a high degree of caution in Indonesia'

The Department of Foreign Trade is advising anyone travelling to Bali to always ‘exercise a high degree of caution in Indonesia’

The alert level remains at three after it was downgraded from the maximum level of four on October 29

The alert level remains at three after it was downgraded from the maximum level of four on October 29

Other Australian airlines, such as Qantas and Virgin, also cancelled flights as they were unwilling to risk flying through cloudy ash to reach their destination.

On Saturday Jetstar diverted three flights heading to Bali and cancelled six flights ready to leave the island.

‘Following an eruption of the Mount Agung volcano in Bali, Indonesia, it is not currently safe to operate flights around Denpasar Airport,’ the airline said in a statement at the time.

‘As a result we have cancelled flights to and from Bali this evening. Three flights that were en route to Bali have returned to Australia.’ 

Airlines have since been issued a 'red warning' about the danger of volcanic ash in the skies, the BBC reported

Airlines have since been issued a ‘red warning’ about the danger of volcanic ash in the skies, the BBC reported

 An exclusion zone which extends 7.5km from the volcano remains unchanged

 An exclusion zone which extends 7.5km from the volcano remains unchanged

After months of observation Mount Agung erupted on Tuesday, with grey ash spewing from the peak at 5.05pm local time.

With Schoolies underway, thousands of students have flocked to Indonesia or are expected to fly this week.

The Department of Foreign Trade is advising anyone travelling to Bali to always ‘exercise a high degree of caution in Indonesia’.

While the eruption was considered small, airlines have since been issued a ‘red warning’ about the danger of volcanic ash in the skies, the BBC reported.

A red warning means another eruption is imminent and authorities have begun distributing masks in areas experiencing ash fall

A red warning means another eruption is imminent and authorities have begun distributing masks in areas experiencing ash fall

Many Australian airlines cancelled or redirected their flights over the weekend as Mount Agung spewed ash into the sky

Many Australian airlines cancelled or redirected their flights over the weekend as Mount Agung spewed ash into the sky

A red warning means another eruption is imminent and authorities have begun distributing masks in areas experiencing ash fall. 

An exclusion zone which extends 7.5km from the volcano remains unchanged. 

About 29,000 evacuees are currently living in shelters — far less than the 150,000 people who fled their homes last month in fear the volcano would erupt.

The alert level remains at three after it was downgraded from the maximum level of four on October 29. 

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk