Holiday hacks: turn 20 days of leave into almost 60 days off

Want to make the most of your annual leave in 2025?

With a bit of clever planning, you can stretch your standard 20 days of leave into almost 60 days off next year, depending on which state or territory you’re in.

The trick is to time your leave around public holidays and unlocking weeks of downtime for that long-overdue getaway.

If you’re in Victoria or the ACT, you can come out on top with 57 and 56 days off. respectively, by combining public holidays with annual leave. However, most other Australians can turn their 20 days of leave into a whooping 53 days of freedom, although in NSW the target drops to 50 days off.

The credit for these clever calendar hacks goes to Corporate Traveller, which is also seeing the trend towards ‘hybrid’ or ‘blended’ travel – also known by the clumsy moniker of bleisure – for combining business trips and remote-working with time off.

It’s all about strategically booking your own holidays around key public holidays.

Monday I’ve got Friday on my mind…

Did somebody say ‘long weekend’? There’s a slew of Monday public holidays across 2025.

Take off the Friday before, or add on Tuesday, and that’s your four-day weekend sorted.

There are between 8 and 10 national public holidays in Australia each year, with some states and territories boasting an extra one or two public holidays.

The official Australia Day public holiday is Monday 27 January, as Australia Day itself falls on Sunday 26 January, so right away you’re set for a three-day weekend to relax and recharge.

By dipping into four days of annual leave (from Tuesday 28 January to Friday 31 January) you can get a nine-day break from Saturday 25 January to Sunday 2 February. 

Start the year right

Looking to ease into 2025 with a long break? You’re in luck.

This Christmas, you can secure a 16-day vacation by combining just seven days of leave with the Christmas and New Year’s public holidays.

That’s right – clock out for the seven ‘working' days between 23 December 2024 and 3 January 2025, and you’ll be enjoying nearly two weeks of uninterrupted downtime between 21 December 2024 and 6 January 2025.

When to travel this Christmas

If you’re planning to jet off over the festive season, timing is everything.

The busiest days for travel this Christmas are expected to be Friday 13 December and Friday 20 December.

Want to avoid the chaos? Consider flying on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, or New Year’s Day.

These days typically see fewer people traveling, because almost everyone is already where they want to be for those special days – so you can enjoy a less crowded and more relaxed experience. 

Easter and ANZAC Day

April offers another golden opportunity to double your leave time.

Due to the proximity of Easter and ANZAC Day, taking seven days off in mid-April can land you a 16-day break, stretching from Saturday 12 April to Sunday 27 April 2025.

Australia Day 2025 serves up another opportunity.

Thanks for the holiday, Charles…

The King’s Birthday public holiday falls on Monday 6 October in Queensland, Monday 29 September in Western Australia, and Monday 9 June in all other states and territories.

Add four days of annual leave from the Tuesday to the Friday in the same week, and you can nab a solid nine-day break. 

Similarly, Labour Day falls on different Mondays across six states and the ACT (3 March in WA, 10 March in Victoria, 5 May in Queensland, 6 October in NSW, ACT & SA).

You can add four days of annual leave on the Tuesday to the Friday in that same week to get a nine-day holiday, including the weekends.

Wrap up 2025 with 16 days off

If you’re really into planning ahead, the 2025 Christmas period presents another prime chance to make the most of public holidays, adding seven days of annual leave to secure another extended break.

Christmas Day and Boxing Day of 2025 fall on Thursday 25 December and Friday 26 December. By taking seven days of leave (Monday 22 December to Wednesday 24 December, Monday 29 December to Tuesday 30 December and Friday 2 January) you can be logged off from Saturday 20 December all the way through to Sunday 4 January 2026.

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