In Reply to: Got me stumped posted by tracy on Friday, 27. July 2012 at 15:22 Bali Time:
As far as Australian authorities are concerned - a valid passport IS a valid passport. In any case - you can always (YES! Always return to Australia if you are an Australian citizen. They'll surely hassle the hell out of you - but they'll let you in).
The concern is the Indonesian authorities. They may, at any time, refuse to allow to enter their country. The '6 month rule' is designed to prevent 'over-stayers'. It's meant to apply to the date of arrival - BUT any and every Immigration Officer has the right to refuse entry to anyone at any time (theoretically). In practice negotiation is always possible - and we all know what that means.
Some Immigration Officers may choose to 'supplement' their income through arriving travelers whose passports skim close to the limits.
Why not just 'suck it up' and always make sure you have 6 months validity from the date of your proposed departure from Indonesia?