Paradise Office: How Aussies Are Turning Island Holidays Into Remote Work Retreats

It’s sad but true: every good holiday has to come to an end. Before you know it, you’re back at work navigating spreadsheets and sitting in on endless calls. However, some Aussies have figured out how to extend their trips and stay in paradise just a bit longer – without having to take more leave.

Sydneysider Mark headed to Fiji with his wife and baby for what was meant to just be a short holiday – but quickly extended their stay. Thanks to Mark’s flexible job in marketing, and Fiji’s time zone being so similar to Australia’s, they were able to tack on extra time to their trip without him needing to lock in another week’s annual leave.

“Instead of cramming everything into five days, we got to slow down,” Mark told nine.com.au. “We had time to really enjoy Fiji, spend quality time together as a family and still keep up with work.”

Mark is one of many Australians taking advantage of flexible and remote work situations to turn idyllic holiday spots into their office. Trading your morning commute for a sunrise snorkel, your hurried lunch breaks into an hour by the pool, and having after-work cocktails out of a coconut... it sounds like the dream life.

“The biggest difference for me was what happened after work,” said Mark. “Instead of sitting in traffic on the commute home, I’d simply close my laptop and be straight at the pool with my family or watching the sunset on the beach.” “We’d have dinner together, engage in cultural activities around the resort and really make the most of being there.”

The rise of ‘bleisure’ (a blend of business and leisure) travel is driven by an increase in more flexible jobs and is changing the way people take holidays. Far from being a distraction, 75 per cent of people who add holidays to their work trips say that it actually makes them more productive when they sit down at their laptops.

Once upon a time, the ability to work from anywhere was just a perk for freelancers, but as more people embrace remote work post-COVID, the overseas workcation is becoming part of the norm. Mark said he told his boss and co-workers that he would be working from overseas. “As long as I was available for the important meetings, replied to emails and kept everything moving, there weren’t any concerns.”

More hotels are taking notice of the growing trend of bleisure travel. Director of Sales & Marketing at Crowne Plaza Fiji Nadi Bay Resort & Spa, Regina Wilson, told nine.com.au the hotel has intentionally created an environment to make this easier, with high-speed Wi-Fi throughout the premises and comfortable work spaces beyond guest rooms. “The rise of flexible work has given people the freedom to rethink how they travel,” she added.

Mark said he came back home feeling genuinely recharged instead of stressed, heading straight back into an overflowing inbox. “It made me question why we always feel like holidays have to fit into one week,” Mark said, who is already planning with his wife where they can go next.