Time-poor, travel-rich: An Australian teacher’s guide to holidays with Contiki

“You must love all the holidays you get!”. If you’re a teacher, you’ve heard this phrase a hundred times before. And yes… the holidays are great, particularly for having multiple opportunities to travel. But what most people don’t see is the 15+ hours of unpaid work each week – marking, planning and admin – adding up to 16.5 weeks of unpaid labour per year for an Australian school teacher. This far outweighs the roughly 11 weeks of school holidays we’re officially given.

That means when we do have holiday breaks, we need to make the most of it! Whether it’s a reset after Term 2 or an epic summer getaway, travel is the fastest cure to burnout – and often where I find my next classroom spark.

Why Contiki works for time-poor teachers

On a Contiki through the Balkans in 2023, my new found friends and I made the promise of doing it all over again together. Fast forward to April 2025, and our ‘Philippines Island Hopping West’ reunion tour made it out of the group chat (and Contiki #5 for me)! 

The biggest benefit of travelling with Contiki? Zero travel stress – they handle all the planning for you. When you’re short on time and energy, you want to make sure your funds are going towards travel that’s meaningful and relaxing – not something that takes more logistics than parent-teacher interviews. I must admit while travelling, my teacher-brain likes to know what we’re doing and when (a hangover from being in charge in the classroom). But with Contiki, I feel so at ease, comfortable and safe – particularly as a solo female traveller. 

Contiki also makes travel easier by saving your most precious resource – time. You don’t want to spend your rare downtime deciphering Eurail maps or spend countless hours weighing up which New Zealand accommodation will have better views. Contiki plans it all – so I can actually relax on my break instead of researching airport transfers. 

While you’re on the trip you don’t have to worry about how you’re going to get from one city to the next or figure out when the hotel’s breakfast buffet starts (or more importantly ends). Your expert Trip Manager handles every detail – and answers are but a WhatsApp away. 

Contiki’s itineraries are built to make the most of your time. Whether you’ve got three weeks in the summer break or just 10-days mid-year, there are tours across Australia and overseas designed to fit neatly into a busy teacher’s holiday calendar.

Pros & Cons: Travelling through a teacher’s lens

Pros

• Holidays – the obvious one. Having multiple holiday breaks a year provides perfect windows for both quick getaways or extended trips.
• Timing – Teachers have a unique rhythm – it comes with some perks. With multiple breaks scheduled into the year, you know your holiday dates well in advance. This makes planning easier than most other professions.
• Opportunities for Education – Working in a multicultural school means I teach students of all different backgrounds and cultures. Travel often doubles as professional development – I’ve learned more about history, languages and cultures while travelling than I would at any PD workshop. After visiting the Vietnam War Museum in Ho Chi Minh city on the Vietnam Experience, I knew I’d never teach history the same way again.
• Burnout Prevention – taking time out to explore new environments can re-energise teachers, helping us return to the classroom with renewed enthusiasm and perspective. Sometimes stepping away is the only way to return recharged. 

Cons

• Price Gouging – school holidays means peak demand – and airlines know it!  Sales often exclude school holiday times and prices soar when we’re free to travel.
• Limited Flexibility & Budget – time off is often non-negotiable outside of the holidays which can make spontaneous travel tricky. And let’s be honest – working in the public sector doesn’t come with a first-class travel budget.
• Leaving Work – If you’re a teacher, you know the pain of writing extras for casual relief teachers. Missing any of the school term can leave you with a mountain of extra work to do.
• Burnout – Sometimes work catches up with you on your holiday… or you return from your holiday and need a holiday – IYKYK!

So, how do I make the most of these precious windows of opportunity? Here’s how I plan them around the school calendar. 

Making travel fit the timetable

The most obvious time to travel is the school holidays. However, it can be tricky to strike a travel deal during this time. The summer break often gives you the longest stretch of free time to explore overseas – though let’s be honest, there’s nothing like summer in Australia either. To stretch my budget, I’ve tried to combat this by booking up to 9-12 months in advance (perks of knowing when your holidays will be) and keeping an eye on flight sales or package deals. 

Most recently, we booked our Philippines trip with Contiki about eight months in advance, but scored cheaper flights only two months out from the trip. Planning this far in advance helped motivate me to stick to budget and have something to look forward to. 

My favourite Aussie destinations for a teacher time-out

Australia is such a diverse landscape, with stunning mountain ranges, red deserts, vibrant cities, some of the best beaches in the world – it really has something for everyone. It really depends on where you live and what’s going to fill your cup. 

Feeling drained? Choose a trip that recharges YOU. Here are some of my favourite Aussie escapes for a teachers’ break:

• Coastal Therapy – Having grown up on the world famous Great Ocean Road, I’m biased – there’s something magic about the 12 Apostles, Loch Ard Gorge and the Otways. Mum always said the cure to anything is saltwater: sweat, tears… or the ocean!
• Back to Nature – If you’re feeling exhausted from the hustle and bustle of the education system, maybe a relaxing camping trip to unwind and get your nature-fix is calling your name. Think: hikes, nature sounds, and the brightest stars.
• Cultural Experiences – A cultural experience to Uluru, or Kakadu National Park in the Northern Territory to learn about First Nations culture and do something completely different might be what you need to shake the school term away.
• Come Down for Air – Tassie offers it all: a perfect mix of nature, history, and culture all in one trip. Explore MONA, hike Cradle Mountain, or visit Port Arthur to get a balance of relaxation and exploration.

No matter your style, there’s something for you next holiday. The best part of being a teacher? You choose what YOU need for your break.

The lesson I keep learning: Travel resets everything

Teaching is a purposeful and rewarding profession – but it’s also all-consuming and exhausting. Travel is how I refill my tank, and remind myself that life is bigger than the four walls of my classroom. For me, whether I’m snorkelling in the Philippines or watching the sunset over the Great Ocean Road, travel is more than a break – it’s a hit on the reset button.

So go ahead, book the trip. Your future self – and your students – will thank you! 

On that note: Japan, anyone? 

I acknowledge the traditional owners of the land, skies, and waterways on which I gratefully live, work and write, the Wadawurrung people of the Kulin nations, and acknowledge their continued care and custodianship of Country. I pay deep respect to Elders’ past, present and emerging, and acknowledge that they were the first teachers, learners, and researchers of the land. I acknowledge that Sovereignty was never ceded – this always was, and always will be, Aboriginal land.