Realistic Family Travel for Australians With Limited Annual Leave

We’re a Sydney family who loves to travel — but we work full-time, have two kids in school, and can’t just disappear whenever we feel like it. This blog is about making real trips happen around real life.

Practical itineraries. Honest cost breakdowns. School holiday planning. And no pretending it’s all effortless.

What You’ll Find Here

Every article on Annual Leave Adventures is written for families who are trying to balance travel with work commitments, school term dates, and budgets that have actual limits.

✈️ International Family Trips

From Northern Vietnam to Greece — real itineraries, real costs, and honest notes on what worked and what we’d do differently.

🗺️ Australia Road Trips

NSW escapes, coastal drives and family-friendly destinations you can reach without blowing your whole annual leave balance.

📅 Annual Leave Planning

How to maximise your leave around public holidays, school holidays and long weekends — so you get more trip for fewer days off.

🚢 Family Cruises

Honest reviews of cruising with kids — what’s worth it, what’s not, and how it compares to other holiday types on a per-day basis.

New Here? Start With These

See all articles →

The School Holiday Trap — Why We Booked Vietnam →

About Melodi

I’m a working mum based in Sydney. I’ve travelled to close to 40 countries — most of them squeezed around school terms, work approvals and the reality of limited annual leave. I started this blog because I couldn’t find travel content that felt honest about those constraints. Read more about me →