An Australian nurse nearly died after drinking a cocktail laced with methanol while vacationing in Indonesia.

Jamie Johnston, 25, has suffered brain damage and kidney failure after ordering a jug of arak mixed with fruit juice at the Happy Cafe restaurant in Lombok.

Arak is a rice wine popular throughout southeast Asia. It is traditionally made from fermented rice, palm sap and other base ingredients. Its strong alcohol content makes it a popular choice among tourists.

Johnston's mother, Lyn, told the Sydney Morning Herald her daughter's test results had shown she suffered methanol toxicity from the alcoholic drink taken on September 20.

Methanol is a toxic chemical compound often used in paint or as an anti-freeze agent.

Johnston had to be taken off the plane in Bali due to excruciating pain, after which she fell unconscious and has subsequently suffered brain scarring and renal failure. She has been unable to move or talk properly since.

Mrs. Johnston told the Herald her daughter's chances at a full recovery changes very much ''day-to-day.'' Doctors could not tell her the extent of the toxins' long term effects.

''It has all been unbelievably traumatic and horrible. People need to be warned about this. Potentially she could have been killed. We could have both been killed,'' Mrs. Johnston told the Herald.

Mrs. Johnston paid over $45,000 in order for her daughter to be flown from Bali to Darwin for medical treatment in Australia.

The Herald said NSW Health Minister Jillian Skinner will have Johnston airlifted, hopefully within the week, from Darwin to Newcastle so she could continue her treatment at John Hunter Hospital, where she works as a nurse.

"Australians love Bali - especially at this time of year - so this is a tragedy which could befall any one if us. It is horrific to think that simply by enjoying a few cocktails on a family holiday this young nurse is now facing a very grim future,'' Skinner said.

''If you are visiting Bali, I urge you to take out medical insurance and seek help immediately from any one of the medical centres on Bali or Lombok if you start to feel ill,'' she added.

A batch of arak contaminated with methanol and sold in Bali in 2009 killed 25 people, including a British national, an Irish woman, a Dutch man and an American woman. Travel advice issued by the Department of Foreign Affairs for Indonesia contains a warning that foreigners have died after ''consuming brand name alcohol or local spirits adulterated with harmful substances.''