For many of us there aren’t enough annual leave days in the calendar year. We hoard our annual leave days and allow them to accumulate so when we do want to go on a big holiday we can do so without taking unpaid leave.

But we’re here to tell you that you can holiday without sacrificing a big chunk of your annual leave days. All you have to do is time your annual leave days with public holidays. 

So if you’re looking to take a trip in 2025, but don’t want to burn through all your annual leave, here’s a month-by-month guide on how you can take 16 days of leave while only using up 7 days of annual leave, or even just a nine-day holiday that only uses up four days of annual leave.  

First up, here are all the public holidays across Australia in 2025:

• Wednesday, January 1 – New Year’s Day (ACT, NSW, NT, QLD, SA, TAS, VIC, WA)
• Monday, January 27 – Australia Day (ACT, NSW, NT, QLD, SA, TAS, VIC, WA)
• Monday, February 10 – Royal Hobart Regatta (only observed in certain areas of TAS)
• Monday, March 10 – Eight Hours Day (TAS)
• Monday, March 3 – Labour Day (WA)
• Monday, March 10 – Adelaide Cup Day (SA)
• Monday, March 10 – Labour Day (VIC)
• Monday, March 10 – Canberra Day (ACT)
• Friday, April 18 – Good Friday (ACT, NSW, NT, QLD, SA, TAS, VIC, WA)
• Saturday, April 19 – Easter Saturday/Saturday before Easter Sunday (ACT, NSW, NT, QLD, SA, VIC)
• Sunday, April 20 – Easter Sunday (ACT, NSW, NT, QLD, SA, VIC, WA)
• Monday, April 21 – Easter Monday (ACT, NSW, NT, QLD, SA, TAS, VIC, WA)
• Tuesday, April 22 – Easter Tuesday (generally Tasmanian Public Service only)
• Friday, April 25 – Anzac Day (ACT, NSW, NT, QLD, SA, TAS, VIC, WA)
• Monday, May 5 – Labour Day (QLD)
• Monday, May 5 – May Day (NT)
• Monday, June 2 – Western Australia Day (WA)
• Monday, June 2 – Reconciliation Day (ACT)
• Monday, June 9 – King’s Birthday (ACT, NSW, NT, SA, TAS, VIC)
• Monday, August 4 – Picnic Day (NT)
• Wednesday, August 13 – Royal Queensland Show (QLD, Brisbane area only)
• Subject to AFL schedule (date TBC) – Friday before AFL Grand Final (VIC)
• Monday, September 29 – King’s Birthday (WA)
• Monday, October 6 – Labour Day (ACT, NSW, SA)
• Monday, October 6 – King’s Birthday (QLD)
• Monday, November 3 – Recreation Day (areas of TAS that don’t observe Royal Hobart Regatta)
• Tuesday, November 4 – Melbourne Cup (VIC)
• Wednesday, December 24 – Christmas Eve (NT/SA from 7pm to midnight, QLD from 6pm to midnight)
• Thursday, December 25 – Christmas Day (ACT, NSW, NT, QLD, SA, TAS, VIC, WA)
• Friday, December 26 – Boxing Day (ACT, NSW, NT, QLD, SA, TAS, VIC, WA)
• Wednesday, December 31 – New Year’s Eve (NT/SA from 7pm to midnight)

January 2025 

New year, new holiday. Treat yourself to a little break at the beginning of the year by taking advantage of the Australia Day public holiday (January 26). In 2025, Australia Day falls on a Sunday, but the public holiday is observed on Monday, January 27, so you still get a day off work. If you take four days of annual leave from Tuesday, January 28 to Friday, January 31, the weekends on either end, plus the public holiday give you a nine-day break in exchange for just four annual leave days. Which gives you just enough time to explore some of Australia’s most gorgeous beach towns when they’re at their best, in the peak of summer. 

Annual leave used: 4 days

Holiday days off: 9 days (January 28 – February 2)

April 2025 

Easter is when you can really cash on taking a break for fewer annual leave days. In 2025, Good Friday falls on April 18 and Easter Monday is on April 21, so if you take three days of annual leave from Tuesday, April 22 to Thursday, April 24 and then add on the Anzac Day public holiday on Friday, April 25 you’re looking at 10 days off for the price of three. This is also the perfect time of the year to hit up some of Australia’s best regional towns. 

Annual leave used: 3 days

Holiday days off: 10 days (April 18-27)

June 2025

Sorry, Queensland and Western Australia, but this one is only going to benefit those living in New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania, Northern Territory and ACT: if you take four days of annual leave from Tuesday, June 10 to Friday, June 13, you trade in four days’ annual leave for a nine-day holiday. If you’re planning a trip to Europe, this is the time to do it.

Annual leave used: 4 days

Holiday days off: 9 days (June 7-15)

October 2025 

Labour Day in ACT, New South Wales and South Australia falls on Monday, October 6 in 2025 and it’s the perfect time to take some extra leave to get you through the remainder of the working year. If you take leave from Tuesday October 7 to Friday, October 10 you’ll be rewarded with nine days off for only four days of annual leave. It also happens to herald the start of spring which is the perfect time for an extra long weekend away. Here are the best short breaks in NSW and beach towns in South Australia to discover. 

Annual leave used: 4 days

Holiday days off: 9 days (October 4-12)

December 2025-January 2026 

Good things come to those who wait. If you’re keen for an extra-long break at the end of the year you’ll reap the benefits of the Christmas and New Year’s public holidays in December and January. If you take from December 20, 2025 to January 4, 2026 off you’ll get 16 days off and only need to use 7 days of annual leave (even less in Northern Territory, Queensland and South Australia as those states also get Christmas Eve as a public holiday, and Northern Territory and South Australia observe New Years Eve as a public holiday). 

Annual leave used: 7 days 

Holiday days off: 16 days (December 20 – January 4)