Helping Australian Families Turn Limited Annual Leave Into Memorable Adventures
Hi, I’m Melodi — an Australia-based working mum, planner and travel lover.
Over the years, our family has travelled to close to 40 countries — from big overseas adventures to short Australian road trips, cruises, nature escapes and school holiday missions squeezed into limited annual leave.
Like many families, we don’t have unlimited time, unlimited money, or the freedom to disappear for months at a time. Most of our trips are planned around work commitments, school terms, public holidays, annual leave balances and real-life budget decisions.
That’s what Annual Leave Adventures is about.
Why This Blog Exists
This site is here to help Australian families make the most of the leave they actually have — whether that means turning 5 days of annual leave into a 10-day overseas trip, planning a realistic school holiday itinerary, finding a nature-filled weekend escape, or deciding whether a trip is worth the extra cost and effort.
I share practical itineraries, honest planning notes, family travel ideas, and lessons learned from our own trips. The focus is not luxury travel or perfect Instagram holidays. It’s realistic, memorable travel that works around family life.
What You’ll Find Here
- Family-friendly overseas itineraries
- Australian road trips and nature escapes
- School holiday and public holiday travel planning
- Cruises, cabins, short breaks and longer adventures
- Honest cost, timing and leave-planning decisions
- Travel ideas for families who want more than a resort holiday
<
What We Travel For
Our family loves trips with a sense of adventure — places with landscapes, culture, food, history, wildlife, starry nights, campfires, scenic drives, and moments that stay with you long after you come home.
Annual Leave Adventures is for families who want to travel more thoughtfully, use their annual leave well, and create memories without pretending travel is always easy, cheap or perfectly organised.
Because sometimes the best family adventures don’t come from having more time. They come from planning better with the time you have.
Read our first article — how we planned our Northern Vietnam family trip →