An Australian family were left terrified when their son was reported missing, only for it to transpire that he had stolen the family credit card and travelled alone to Bali.

As reported in 9 News, the 12-year-old had a heated argument with his parents.

“He doesn’t like the word ‘no’,” his mother said.

He subsequently told them he was going to school. However, the boy had actually stolen the family credit cards and, after tricking his grandmother into giving him his passport, travelled alone to Bali. He was able to do so having researched Australian airlines which allow minors to travel with only a student ID and passport, rather than requiring a letter from a parent or guardian.

The boy took a train to Sydney airport and was able to check in at the self-service stations and get through security before waiting to board a flight to Perth, from where he caught a connecting flight to Denpasar in Bali.

“I sort of stuffed up because I got the deal cheap,” he told 9 News, adding that he was never asked why he was alone. “They just asked for my student ID and passport to prove I’m over 12 and that I’m in secondary school.”

Meanwhile, his mother had reported her son missing after discovering he never made it to school.

Prior to reaching Bali, the boy had booked himself into a hotel. Upon arrival, he told staff his sister would be joining him later, convincing them to let him check in early.

Speaking to Australia’s A Current Affair, the boy's mother described how it felt when she realised that her son had managed to leave the country.

“Shocked, disgusted. There’s no emotion to feel what we felt when we discovered that he had left overseas,” she said.

After discovering that he had travelled abroad, his mother went to Bali to retrieve him. He ultimately spent four days alone in the country.

“It was great,” he told A Current Affair. “Because I wanted to go on an adventure.”

Independent News Service