THE IMPACT of the bullets smashing into the chests of Bali Nine drug traffickers Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran woke a Grafton man from his slumber this morning.

John Hickson woke suddenly at 3.25am, and instantly logged onto a news service to hear the Indonesia had carried out the death sentence on the two men and six other people.

"I woke up at exactly the time the sentence was carried out," Mr Hickson said this morning. "Ten minutes later I heard the the boys had been killed."

"It's a totally devastating feeling. I thought it was coming, but to think the Indonesian Government has actually carried through on such a barbaric act is devastating."

Mr Hickson knew Chan and Sukamaran at Kerobokan Prison on Bali and has visited them a number of times since 2008.

"They had come so far since they were caught for drug trafficking," he said.

"To think one had become ordained as a priest and the other had almost finished a fine arts degree is remarkable, especially when they did it from a squalid, overcrowded prison."

Mr Hickson was surprised the executions went ahead with two legal appeals still outstanding.

"There was still an appeal on the way the clemency issue was handled and there were serious allegations of corruption from the original trial still outstanding.

"It's pretty obvious their legal system leaves a lot to be desired, it seems justice is delivered on the whim of whatever politician is in power."

He supported retaliatory action from Australia against Indonesia, especially after the lack of courtesy Indonesia exhibited in announcing the executions on Anzac Day.

Since then the Australian Government has announced it will cut diplomatic ties with Australia.

Yesterday in Grafton the Acting Prime Minister Warren Truss flagged Australia would indicate its displeasure to Indonesia.

"They're our neighbours and sometimes they get angry with us and we get angry with them," he said.

"We will do something to show we're angry with them over this decision, but it will not be permanent."