A 12-year-old stole his parents' credit card and flew to Bali for a holiday after a family tiff.
The boy made the audacious move after his mother told him he could not go to the Indonesian island from Australia.
He tricked his grandmother into giving him his passport and managed to book himself onto a flight after researching airlines which allowed 12-year-olds to fly unaccompanied.
The boy, given the pseudonym 'Drew' in media reports, hopped on a train to Sydney Airport before boarding a flight to Denpasar.
He was reported missing on March 8 - but police did not track him down until nine days later.
He had been staying at the All Seasons hotel, where he told staff he was waiting for his sister to return.
In the meantime, his parents had travelled to Bali, and were eventually relocated with their son on March 17, Australian Federal Police said.
The boy explained to website 'A Current Affair' that authorities only checked his website to prove he was at least 12.
He said: "They just asked for my student ID and passport to prove that I'm over 12 and that I'm in secondary school."
The Australian Federal Police said: "The AFP will work with partner agencies to review the circumstances of this matter and current operating procedures, to ensure this type of incident does not occur again."
The boy's mother, Emma, said she was "shocked and disgusted" at the ordeal.
