# A fatal step off the path at Kelingking

> A 29-year-old Queenslander died after slipping from Bali's most photographed cliff, a 180-metre drop that tourists keep underestimating.
- Title: A fatal step off the path at Kelingking · the Guardian
- Summary: A 29-year-old Queenslander died after slipping from Bali's most photographed cliff, a 180-metre drop that tourists keep underestimating. Kelingking's view…
- Keywords: bali, travel safety, tourism, queensland, nusa penida, news, world, fatal, step, path, Kelingking, the Guardian
- Source: the Guardian — https://theguardian.com/world/2026/sep/14/queensland-woman-cliff-death-kelingking-beach-ntwnfb
- Author: Australian Associated Press
- Published: 2026-09-13T23:02:05+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: bali, travel safety, tourism, queensland, nusa penida, news, world
## Found stuck on the cliff
Police found the 29-year-old Queensland woman clinging to the side of the Kelingking beach cliff on Saturday morning. Emergency crews reached the scene, but she fell further before they could get to her.
## She left the path
Nusa Penida's alert unit coordinator said she was making her own way toward the cliff edge around 9am when she slipped into the ravine. She had multiple fractures when rescuers found her.

> She was seeking an independent path toward the edge of the cliff before slipping and falling into the ravine
## The view is 180 metres up
Kelingking is one of Bali's most visited spots, and the whole draw is the panorama from a 180-metre coastal cliff. The descent to the sand is a treacherous two-hour trek.
## Swimming is banned here
The beach, nicknamed T-Rex Bay for its shape, is closed to swimmers all year because of dangerous currents. The danger at Kelingking is not incidental, it is the site itself.
## Condolences from home
Australia's foreign affairs department is providing consular assistance and the family has asked for privacy. Queensland premier David Crisafulli called the death tremendously sad.

> To have a life taken away in a heartbeat like that … it's just incredibly, incredibly sad
## A glass elevator still looms
A developer began building a 182-metre glass elevator to ease the hike, sparking outrage. Bali's governor ordered it demolished last November, but the legal fight drags on and a metal skeleton still clings to the cliff.
## Key takeaway

Kelingking's view comes from a 180-metre cliff with no safe shortcuts. Stay on the marked path, because rescue crews can take longer to reach you than the fall does.