Businessman Mark Deason (41) died last Friday in an ambulance on the way to hospital.
This week his friends and supporters got together to raise more than $14,000 on Givealittle to help with funeral costs and other expenses to bring his body home.
Mr Deason was an often controversial figure during the period he owned the hotel, better known as "the Bowler'' in Frederick St.
There were promotions including a draw to win a petrol-soaked couch, complete with a box of matches, and his 2005 promotion where students could turn up in singlets known as "wife-beaters'' and get six double shots of spirits for $10.
The promotions put the bar on the student drinking map, but also brought a backlash from authorities.
Mr Deason's friend, Brent Cowles, of Otematata, who has gone to Bali to bring Mr Deason's body home, yesterday described him as "just a genuine character with a great streak of mischief'''.
Mr Cowles said he was not surprised so much money had been raised.
"A lot of good buggers have rallied around him - it's phenomenal the Givealittle side of it. It's a testament to his character.''
Mr Cowles said he was called by Mr Deason's parents on Saturday, travelled to Dunedin on Sunday, then left for Bali that evening.
He said from the Indonesian island yesterday Mr Deason had "gone out to get some food, had a motorcycle accident and unfortunately lost his life on the way to hospital''.
He did not have insurance to cover the return of his body to New Zealand in such a situation. There would be no autopsy.
Mr Cowles said it was a New Year holiday in Bali yesterday, meaning everything, including the airport, was closed.
"All I'm waiting on is confirmation of flights. We're trying to get Mark home over the weekend.''
Mr Deason was working on a business helping others develop a "freedom business, where you could work from anywhere in the world'', Mr Cowles said.
Mr Deason had been travelling back and forth to Bali for about a year, having "reduced himself to a travel bag, his books and a laptop''.
"He's influenced a lot of people's life for the good.''
Mr Cowles said the Otago Boy's High School and University of Otago-educated man had "a love of humanity in general''.
"He just had this passion for helping people and he finally found a way of doing that through his business. He couldn't have been in a better place.''
People in Dunedin were printing "Bowler'' T-shirts to raise money to help meet expenses of returning the body home.
Former Bowler barman Chris Wilcock, now a television programmer in Sydney, said Mr Deason was "a unique man who will be missed not only by close friends and family'' but by former staff, plenty of whom were now scattered across the world.
Mr Deason's parents indicated they did not want to discuss the matter until next week.
