Lots of Australian holiday-makers dismiss Bali as a destination not only because of security concerns but because they don’t want to spend their vacation roasting on a beach, getting hammered in a nightclub – or avoiding those fellow Australians who do.

Yes, they know Bali has a spiritual dimension to rival any of our other near-neighbours, and that there is world-class tropical beauty to be experienced if you just get off the beaten track.

But perhaps what has escaped attention is just how many active options are now offered. So release your imagination from the beach, free your mind from that cocktail bar and consider these options.

Night Surfing, if it’s an amazing experience standing with a Bintang beer in your hand on a beachfront warung, watching those daring night surfers brave the huge breakers of Keramas which Australian surf legend Luke Egan describes as “A-Grade waves”... well, just think how even more amazing it must be to be one of those night surfers yourself.

Hotel Komune is a newly opened, $10 million, Australian-conceived surfing, yoga and health spa resort on Bali’s east coast.

It also claims to be the only place in the world where surfers can tackle the full moon tides under professional football-standard floodlights.

An ingenious series of large, fluorescent, anchored buoys bob up and down in the distance, allowing the experienced surfers to read the ocean. Surfers also wear brightly coloured tops that are easily picked out by the floodlights.

Obviously weather and tide dependent, the best viewing times at during the full moon. And the other amazing thing? It costs just $A20 for an hour’s night surfing at Komune and you can watch for free – or perhaps the price of a Bintang.

Climb Gunung Agung, At 3142m, is not only Bali’s highest peak but its holiest since it can be seen from much of the island. Basically, there are three ways up: The most demanding route, from the Besakih temple to the west, involving an ascent of six to seven hours, starting (preferably) about 11 the previous night to arrive at the summit at dawn.

The crater route (which ends about 100m short of the real summit) is an easier three to four-hour climb from Pura Pasar Agung in the south. Best to leave about 2am for this one.

The less-used northern Duku Bungangga Sakti overnight route for less fit and less experienced trekkers, involving an overnight camp at 1770m.

April to September, the dry season, is the best time to climb Gunung Agung, and remember to take a torch, warm clothes and gloves (temperatures at the summit of Gunung Agung of about 5C at sunrise).

If you still fancy getting high in Bali with less physical effort, try Gunung Batur (1717m). It’s still a three to four-hour ascent, beginning in the dark about 2am or 3am to get that all-important sunrise view of an active volcanic crater with beautiful Lake Batur in the foreground.

Bali has long been recognised as one of the world’s great dive destinations, and there are many good operators around the island. One that comes particularly highly recommended is Joe’s Gone Diving, in Sanur.

Just don’t ask for Joe. He doesn’t exist. The operators are a Dutch couple, Jan and Mirjam, who are both qualified PADI instructors and ultra-sensitive about the environment. They run a 5-star PADI scuba dive school in Sanur, with a full range of experiences from “try diving” to accredited Open Water Diver and professional Divemaster courses.

If you are staying anywhere in the south of Bali, the company will pick you up from your hotel early in the morning, with different daily dives across the island from Nusa Penida and Padang Bay to Tulamben and Candidasa. The groups are small and the dive instructors have been highly praised for their professionalism and ability to speak English.

Dive sites include coral reefs, marine parks filled with fish and the Liberty wreck at Tulamben, one of the most famous wreck dives in the world. Prices start at $US75 for a two-dive adventure with your own equipment, or $95 including all equipment.

Eco, Educational, Or a serious workout, cycling is a perfect way of seeing Bali at a relaxed pace, getting off the highway and pausing when you see something special.

The best tours take the visitor away from the tourism centres, calling in at relatively tourist-unsaturated local temples and restaurants en route, with glimpses of Balinese life such as rice planting, bamboo harvesting and coffee roasting.

Bali Eco Cycling, run by a Balinese family with Western connections, claim to be the original and best eco and educational cycling operators on the island, designed to “take the visitor away from the tourist areas and show them “the real Bali”.

Their groups are usually no more than 10 people, with a senior guide in the lead and a second guide at the rear for safety. Their bikes can also be fitted with Australian-standard baby seats, for parents who want to take their children along.

The day tour starts soon after breakfast and follows a mainly downhill route on back roads to Ubud, with regular stops to experience village life and local specialities. After lunch, guests can choose to visit Ubud Monkey Forest or take a harder, uphill route to Ubud if they are feeling energetic.

Deep sea fishing, the Balinese admit the Japanese were probably the first to discover the art of jiggling for that really big catch.

But obviously the Balinese have their own take on it. The guys at SportFishing Bali boast their metal jigs are “at least” 400g and much more likely to be 500-600g.

Yes, I have no idea what they are talking about either. So I will just quote them.

“Bali’s currents are very heavy indeed, plus our water depth goes up to an astonishing 200m deep. In Bali, we jig at between 8-120m to catch dog-tooth tunas, amberjack and ruby snapper.”

Budget for about $US760 for a party of four for eight hours of fishing, with lunch included but that case of Bintang at $US40 is extra. No takers? Just think of the fish supper tonight.

River Rafting, one of the good things about being a tropical island with a distinctive wet season (November to March) is that rivers run through it regularly.

Since 1988, the spectacular Ayung River has hosted some of the best – and safest – whitewater rafting in Indonesia, open to children as well as hard-core thrill seekers.

Graha Adventure White Water Rafting, based in Ubud, comes highly recommended – though just about every visitor mentions the steep track down to the Ayung River (400 steps according to one customer – and you have to walk back up them again at the end of the day).

The company’s guides are praised for their professionalism and safety awareness – important considering most customers have never been whitewater rafting before. The river roars through beautiful scenery, with steep canyons, rock carvings, waterfalls and monkey spectators. But there is obviously plenty of time for fun too, with water fights between the different rafts one of the highlights. The two-hour adventure comes with lunch.

Next year’s Bali Ocean Swim will be race on July 5. The organisation, launched in 2009, pledged “to improve the lives of children in Papua, Bali and East Indonesia by using the power and play for development, health and peace”.

The swim, across Kuta Beach and overseen by the Kuta Beach lifeguards, is either 1.2km, 5km or 10km. The costs, for non-Indonesians, are $US50, $US80 and $US100, respectively.