Turn 20 days leave into 45: smart holiday planning guide

Okay, so most of us might be back at work now, but that doesn’t mean we can’t gaze wistfully out the window and start to mentally plan our future trips instead of working. (I’m not doing this right now, I promise)

Australia’s loaded up with public holidays in 2024, and if you want to maximise your annual leave , you’re going to want to have this guide handy as you turn 20 days of annual leave into an enormous 47 days on the road.

So stop gazing longingly at December 2024 in the calendar, and start working out how you can have some awesome long weekends all through the year!

March

Take leave on: 25th, 26th, 27th, 28th, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th (April)

You know the feeling. March rolls around, the weather’s still fine, and the memory of your Christmas break is fading faster than your summer tan.

Easter is the best time of year to take an extended break, with Friday 29th and Monday 1st already days off. It might seem like a lot, but using 8 days of leave over this period gives you, wait for it, 16 straight days off!

If you don’t want to use up all those days so early in the year, take 4 days either side of the Easter weekend and still nab yourself a full 10 day break.

You should go:

Western Australia shines in March, with the temperature averaging out at a balmy 26°. A 10 or 16 day road trip is the perfect amount of time to explore the West, with our pick being the unmatched Margaret River region.

Check out our Margaret River travel guide

April

Take leave on: 26th

So your Big Break in March was pretty perfect, but it’s set off that need within you to keep scrolling through the Camplify listing page to see what vans are available in April.

Thankfully, the public holiday gods have been extra kind to us in 2024, with Anzac Day landing on Thursday 25th. Take just 1 day of leave on the 26th to give yourself that much needed four-day long weekend in the middle of autumn.

You should go:

The weather might be cooling in the south, but Queensland is still retaining its summer vibes as we head towards winter. A long weekend is just the right amount of time to get busy about the business of the Scenic Rim in South-East Queensland.

Check out our Scenic Rim travel guide

June

Take leave on: 7th, 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th

It might still sound strange rolling off the tongue, but the King’s Birthday public holiday falls on Monday 10th June in 2024 (except in WA & QLD).

For just 5 days of leave, you can make yourself forget there were no public holidays in May with an epic 10 day getaway in the middle of the year. Have you even been working this year at all?

You should go:

Hitting the outback in winter is a far more pleasant way to experience the heart of Australia than under the scorching summer sun. Our pick for a 10 day road trip is an epic journey from Brisbane to Darwin, loaded with stunning landscapes, national parks, and endless horizons.

Check out our Brisbane to Darwin road trip guide

October

Take leave on: 4th, 8th, 9th

It’s a bit of a wait for our next public holiday (and longer for some as this doesn’t apply to NT, TAS or VIC residents), but the Monday 7th day off for the rest of the country is your final pre-Christmas chance to score an extended break.

Take the Friday, Tuesday & Wednesday off for a delightful 6-day break as the lead up to summer truly begins.

You should go:

We’ve done the maths, and 6 days is the perfect amount of time to head south and tackle one of the country’s best road trips, the Great Ocean Road.

Check out our Great Ocean Road trip guide

December

Take leave on: 23rd, 24th, 27th,

With most Aussies getting 20 days of leave per year, and if you’ve followed our guide to the tee (you really should, you know), then you’ll be left with 3 days of leave to make the most of some December fun.

Christmas Day and Boxing Day fall on a Wednesday and Thursday this year, so using those 3 days wisely will grant you a lovely 9 day break to enjoy the summer festivities. If you’ve got even more leave banked up, chuck some days off on the 20th, 31st, 2nd & 3rd, and score a mammoth 16 consecutive days off work.

Looks like 2024 is going to be a good year for adventuring.

You should go:

Anywhere! Summer’s the best time to get out and enjoy our unique country, from the beaches and lakes to the rainforests and reefs. You can’t go wrong on a December road trip.