Kiwi mum quits job to travel the world with her four-year-old daughter

Mum and daughter duo Shobna and Star Naomi are setting off around the world together. Photo / Supplied

A Kiwi mum who's always dreamed of seeing the world is packing up and taking her daughter on the adventure of a lifetime.

Shobna Naomi was burnt out from juggling work, renovations, and a stressful relationship.

"I was trying to do it all," she says. "One day I nearly fell asleep driving home on the motorway, and that was a huge wakeup call.

"I realised I was leaving my daughter in the dark at daycare in the morning and getting home in the dark at night - something had to change."

Naomi did her research, inspired by other families who had traveled successfully with kids, and decided she and her nearly five-year-old daughter Star were going to pack up and travel the world together.

They sold or gave away nearly everything - from a lifestyle block with 2 houses and a pool to their pets, miniature horses, and furniture - and now everything they own fits into six boxes.

They've marked the places they want to go with stickers on a map on the wall - heading to London first on December 27, then France, Spain, Venice, Morocco, Egypt and India, just to name a few.

Visiting an elephant sanctuary in Thailand and seeing the sunrise from a hot air balloon over a game park in Africa are high on the bucket list.

Star is "beyond excited" about going ice skating in England and about Disneyland in Paris for her 5th birthday, which Naomi admits is just as exciting for her.

"There's so many opportunities for Star that she wouldn't get in a classroom," says Naomi.

"Experiencing different cultures, different foods, and making friends in different countries.

"I just want to show her the world."

She says the response from friends and family members has been mixed.

"There's a lot of fear, a lot of warnings about the danger and maybe a few unhelpful suggestions," she says.

"But there's also heaps of support from our friends and so much excitement for us."

Naomi, also an amateur photographer, hopes to be able to sell photos off her website bysobriquet.com. They also plan to run an Instagram documenting their travels.