Saying absolutely no way to a short Australian trip

[CapaciousMug]

DHs sister moved to the Gold Coast in Australia several years ago, she and her husband have 3 kids, 4, 6 and 7. DD is our only child. She turned 3 in August and is nursery now.
This year, DHs family are coming here. We haven't decided where we will have dinner yet, as my parents are local too.
Next year DH thinks we should go to Australia over new year, fly out Boxing Day and be back in time for school/work (he's a teacher) starting back. He doesn't want to do Christmas in Australia as it won't feel Christmasy.
Now obviously I can't see the flights for next year yet but based on this years. If we flew out Boxing Day, the earliest we'd arrive is late on the 27th, but that's on a few routes, we'd fly back on the Sunday the 5th, land in the UK early Monday morning and school/work goes back Tuesday.
I think this sounds ridiculously exhausting, especially to do every other year.
I'd rather we go before Christmas as I love Australia and love visiting and want DD to get to go. DH insists Christmas in Australia just wouldn't be Christmas.

AIBU to say no as this sounds exhausting and unfair on DD. I say we either go before Christmas and spend more like 2 weeks there or we don't go!

Love this song!

Christmas in Australia is amazing , true its very different to a UK Christmas but its still fantastic to experience.

Makes me cry every time @BeachRide

It's really about Christmas. And OP's DH would do well to listen to it!

Should have added to my last post that I much prefer Christmas in Oz to the UK. It's far more laid back and the weather is usually very nice at that time.

But that's the same as at Christmas! The poster was suggesting Easter as being 'easier' to get time off.

Haven't RTFT, but has he looked at the prices? We are Aussies who live in London and go home to Sydney most Christmases but go for the full three weeks of my DCs' school holidays. Even if you book the moment sales open up (generally 11 months out) to get the cheapest flights, going over the Christmas holidays is roughly double what it costs at other times of year. Are you really you going to spend at least £5000 just for airfares to be there for a week (and a week in which you will be totally jet lagged)?

By the time your DC is 4, he'll cope with the flight better than you will though - unlimited screen time. Your problem is the length of the time there, not the flight.

Easier in the sense that you don't have Christmas (which is the root of their dispute) in the middle of the holiday.

Unless the DH can't spend Easter Sunday outside of the UK either! In which case, the Easter holidays would present the same problem!

But it doesn't really matter, he's a teacher and so has designated times in the year off ...Christmas, Easter and Summer are all options for them!

My thoughts exactly. It's hardly going to be a nice cosy Christmas with a long haul flight hanging over you the following day, plus all the packing and other crap. He sounds like a child - actually he sounds more like a dick.

I flew into Sydney for a week. It was long enough for me and that was with a wedding in the middle.

Just reading the OP's first post is exhausting! Even though I've visited Australia myself this year!

Why don't you all meet somewhere like LA which is probably half way for both of you and have Christmas there? Could be fun!

@MrsTerryPratchett I see your tear jerker (howler) and cheer you with https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=S9NhL3agUaw&list=PLCgVbWPWdtVUztwSmY7iilolCU5UIFQPa&index=22&pp=iAQB8AUB

That's awesome!

Staff are there year round in secondaries. Finance, Data, IT, revision classes - it's the best time to set up the new academic year as there aren't as many people on the network at the time - repairs, improvement works, decorating, maintenance, second batch of offers to be made following National Offer Day, IT upgrades - which then mean you have to give up any leave you meant to take to try again once it's back up and running - that kind of thing.

It's quieter, yes, but it's never closed to anybody but students (and not the ones attending revision classes that are run every day) and there is always at least one member of SLT that has to be present throughout as both a physical presence and to receive safeguarding reports/be a point of emergency contact for any Easter residentials.

Lol

I was contemplating a short visit for the Lions tour in the summer but decided against it. I like flying and am ok at jetlag (at least I am good at pushing on through and living like a zombie for a bit😁) but I think it's probably just a bit too far for a week including 2 days travelling at each end. With kids in tow absolutely no chance.