Family's battle to bring Hunter surfer Neil Goldsmith home from Indonesia after crash

More than a metre down a ditch beside an Indonesian road, Mr Goldsmith's friend found him trapped beneath a motorbike - about four hours after the former Hunter resident had crashed.

It was a fortnight on Friday since Mr Goldsmith was rushed to hospital in East Java, the extent of the injuries to his spine and face making him destined for a six-hour ambulance trip to the intensive care unit at Bali's international hospital where he has been ever since.

The COVID-19 pandemic means his family cannot fly to Bali to be with him, so they are keeping up-to-date from Lake Macquarie by communicating with hospital staff.

They are also raising money to pay for his treatment - and hopefully to medevac the well-known surfer home to the Hunter.

"He's the kind of bloke who would give you the shirt off his back and is always happy to help the underdog and doesn't have a need for material things," his sister Louise Webber told the Newcastle Herald on behalf of the family.

"He would actually be horrified that we're doing all of this for him and making such a fuss, but it's just at a whole new level that's too overwhelming, that's why we're reaching out to people.

"It's been incredible the amount of support we've got."

Mr Goldsmith spent most of his youth in the Lake Macquarie area - his two children, mother and both his sisters still live there.

The 50-year-old moved to Indonesia a couple of years ago to work at a surfing camp at G-Land - one of Asia's most famous breaks.

A close mate stayed by his side in the Balinese hospital until only a few days ago, when he had to return to East Java.

With no family in Indonesia, Mr Goldsmith remains on his own in hospital dealing with his recovery from facial reconstruction surgery and the prospect of what doctors have told the family is a one-in-three chance of walking again.

But Ms Webber said, despite her brother being paralysed from the chest down, there had been a "glimmer of hope" in recent days, with Mr Goldsmith able to slightly move one of his feet unassisted.

"They're the little wins you take along the way," she said.

The hospital bills are mounting - $61,000 AUD as of Friday - and the potential cost of flying Mr Goldsmith home when the coronavirus pandemic allows is expected to be around $100,000.

Under the name Neil Needs You, the family has started a Go Fund Me page for donations and has also launched a Facebook page where people can buy a $15 camouflage bandana - with the money going towards the effort to pay for Mr Goldsmith's treatment and to bring him home.

"He always loved his bandanas and his camo," Ms Webber said.

"We're encouraging people to take a photo of themselves with it on and put it on the Facebook page to show their support.

"We would not normally ask for help, but the situation is an exceptional one. It is such an emotional and difficult time for us, especially given that we cannot travel to him with the borders closed, and communication is limited."

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