Here’s how to hack your leave in 2025 (and where to go)

Elizabeth WhiteheadBy Elizabeth Whitehead
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Get that OOO email ready – here’s how to best use your annual leave to hack your way to an extended break this year.

A public holiday is always a welcome break from the workweek frenzy. But even better than that? Strategically stacking your annual leave around weekends and public holidays for continuous time off and thus maximising your holiday time. And in 2025, Australians have lucked out with more opportunities than in 2024 to leave-hack their way to an extended break.

Here’s how to make the most of your annual leave, plus seasonal travel tips so you can make your break truly unforgettable.

9 days off in January

Struggling to get into the flow of work after the Christmas/New Year break? Not to worry – you can stay in vacation mode and treat yourself to a nine-day break over the Australia Day public holiday. The public holiday falls on 27 January, so booking four days of leave (28-31 January) will free up nine days between 25 January – 2 February. It’s the perfect way to extend the summer break a little longer before the work year kicks into high gear.

Top travel picks for January

You can’t really go too wrong planning a summer holiday in Australia, especially if you hug the coast. NSW’s north and south coasts are a highlight at this time of year, both characterised by sparkling beaches fringed by pristine bushland.

For travellers seeking adventure, head to the Snowy Mountains to see it transformed from a skier’s playground to a hiker’s paradise in summer. Breathe in fresh mountain air and perhaps tackle the brand-new four-day Snowy Alpine Walk.

Snowies Alpine Walk
The Snowies transform from a skiing playground to a hiking paradise in summer. (Image: B Ferguson/DCCEEW)

If you’re seeking something more relaxing, set your sights on the Great Victorian Bathing Trail, where you can dip between rejuvenating natural thermal pools and rejuvenating spas.

Bathing in Alba Spa
Alba Thermal Springs and Spa is on The Great Victoria Bathing Trail.

16 days off in April

Fancy a 16-day break for the price of seven days of annual leave? Thanks to the proximity of the Easter long weekend and ANZAC Day, April is the prime time to book an extended getaway. Here’s the breakdown: The Easter long weekend is from 18-21 April and ANZAC Day falls on 25 April. Use a total of seven days leave (on 14-17 April as well as 22-24 April) and have yourself a sweet 16-day break.

Top travel picks for April

April is a great time of the year to travel in Australia. It’s shoulder season for many of the country’s blockbuster attractions, meaning fewer crowds and lower prices. April is an ideal and quiet time to visit The Great Barrier Reef, Uluru and the Red Centre, as well as Kakadu in the Northern Territory’s Top End.

uluru
April is shoulder season for Australia’s Red Centre, making it an idyllic yet quiet time to visit. (Image: Tourism NT / Kate Flowers)

April also marks the beginning of whale shark season at Ningaloo Reef in WA. Dive into an unforgettable experience swimming alongside the biggest sharks in the world, spotting dolphins and turtles as you watch these majestic animals glide through the water.

Whale shark swim with Live Ningaloo at Ningaloo Reef
April is the start of whale shark season at Ningaloo Reef. (Image: Live Ningaloo/ Justin Bumpstead)

9 days off June

Take a much-needed mid-year break by stacking your leave around the 9 June King’s Birthday Public Holiday (except if you’re based in Queensland or WA).  Book in four days of leave (10-13 June) and you’ll receive nine consecutive days off from 7-15 June.

Top travel picks for April

Take the ultimate cool-cation to Tasmania. The temperatures may be dropping, but the cultural calendar is heating up, especially with the triumphant return of the iconic culture and arts festival Dark Mofo 5-15 June.

Dark Mofo 2025
Dark Mofo will make a triumphant return in 2025.

Sun chasers can head north to Queensland to sail around the Whitsundays, explore the ancient Daintree Rainforest or snorkel at the UNESCO-listed Great Barrier Reef.

Hook Island The Whitsundays
Escape winter in the Whitsundays. (Image: Tourism and Events Queensland)

June is also peak season for the Northern Territory’s Red Centre, presenting the perfect opportunity to explore the country’s spiritual heart.

9 days off in October

As the country heads into spring, the flowers are blooming, the sun is emerging and the cities are beginning to hum with life. What better time to take a holiday? Luckily, there are several state holidays in early October. The King’s Birthday falls on 6 October in Qld and 29 September in WA, and Labour Day is also observed on 6 October for NSW, ACT & SA. Use four days of leave around the public holiday to lock in a nine-day break.

Top travel picks for October

Spring is in bloom! You can still catch some of the colourful wildflowers on show in Western Australia, particularly in the Margaret River region where the world-class vines share the terrain with vast floral carpets.

Flora flowers season bloom wa native plants
Leeuwin-Naturaliste National Park runs along most of the Margaret River coastline and the Cape to Cape Track, which snakes through it, is lined with wildflowers.

Sydney and NSW’s north and south coasts are also quite pleasant at this time of year, with the temperature becoming perfect for swimming and sleepy little beach towns awakening for the summer ahead.

an aerial view of Murrays Beach, Jervis Bay
Go barefoot on Murrays Beach, Jervis Bay. (Image: Destination NSW)

9 days off in December/January

Why not cap off the year with a 16-day stretch of time off? If you’ve made it through the year, you’ve certainly earned it! Thanks to Christmas, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day public holidays, you can get 16 consecutive days off for the price of seven days annual leave. Here’s the breakdown: Block out 22-24 December, 29-30 December and 2 January to enjoy a well-deserved break.

Top travel picks for December/January

This is notoriously a tricky time of year to book a holiday. But if you want to end the year on a high note, Tasmania is certainly a place to have on your list. The landscapes are otherworldly in summer: Cradle Mountain with its dramatic peaks and Freycinet with its coastline scalloped by bays which contain some of the country’s fresh seafood.

Wineglass Bay aerial
See incredible views when you hike at Wineglass Bay. (Image: Jason Charles Hill)

South Australia is a must for foodies – not only is the wine incredible, but the beaches are perfect for swimming in, too (hint: Kangaroo Island offers some of the finest in the state!)

Wild South Coast Way in Deep Creek National Park, South Australia
Admire the rugged coastline of Kangaroo Island along the way. (Image: Heidi Who Photos)

How will you be using your extra days off work this year? Let us know in the comments below.

Elizabeth Whitehead
Elizabeth Whitehead is a writer obsessed with all things culture; doesn't matter if it's pop culture or cultures of the world. She graduated with a degree in History from the University of Sydney (after dropping out from Maths). Her bylines span AFAR, Lonely Planet, ELLE, Harper's BAZAAR and Refinery 29. Her work for Australian Traveller was shortlisted for single article of the year at the Mumbrella Publishing Awards 2024. She is very lucky in thrifting, very unlucky in UNO.
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This luxe trawler tour is redefining Victoria’s seafood experience

    Chloe CannBy Chloe Cann
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    Victoria’s ‘mussel capital’ is the source of exceptional shellfish used by top chefs far and wide. Step aboard a beautifully refurbished trawler to see how these plump and juicy bivalves are sustainably cultivated.

    A curtain is slowly winched from the placid, teal waters just off Portarlington , like a floating garland beside our boat. The ropes heave with blue mussels, the star attraction of our tour. But as we reach to pluck our own, it’s quickly clear they’re not alone; a mass of weird and wonderful creatures has colonised the ropes, turning them into a living tapestry. ‘Fairy’ oysters, jelly-like sea squirts, and tiny, wriggling skeleton shrimp all inhabit this underwater ecosystem.

    We prize our bivalve bounty from the ropes, and minutes later the mussels arrive split on a platter. The plump orange morsels are served raw, ready to be spritzed with wedges of lemon and a lick of chilli as we gaze out over the bay. They’re briny, tender and faintly sweet. “This wasn’t originally part of the tour,” explains Connie Trathen, who doubles as the boat’s cook, deckhand and guide. “But a chef [who came onboard] wanted to taste the mussels raw first, and it’s now become one of the key features.”

    A humble trawler turned Hamptons-style dreamboat

    inspecting bivalve bounty from the ropes
    Inspecting the bounty. (Image: Visit Victoria/Hannyn Shiggins)

    It’s a crisp, calm winter’s day, and the sun is pouring down upon Valerie, a restored Huon pine workhorse that was first launched in January 1980. In a previous life she trawled the turbulent Bass Strait. These days she takes jaunts into Port Phillip Bay under the helm of Lance Wiffen, a fourth-generation Bellarine farmer, and the owner of Portarlington Mussel Tours . While Lance has been involved in the fishing industry for 30-plus years, the company’s tour boat only debuted in 2023.

    holding Portarlington mussels
    See how these plump and juicy bivalves are sustainably cultivated.

    It took more than three years to transform the former shark trawler into a dreamy, Hamptons-esque vessel, with little expense spared. Think muted green suede banquettes, white-washed walls, Breton-striped bench cushions, hardwood tables, bouquets of homegrown dahlias, and woollen blankets sourced from Waverley Mills, Australia’s oldest working textile mill. It’s intimate, too, welcoming 12 guests at most. And yet there’s nothing pretentious about the experience – just warm, down-to-earth Aussie hospitality.

    As we cruise out, we crack open a bottle of local bubbles and nibble on the most beautifully curated cheese platter, adorned with seashells and grey saltbush picked from the water’s edge that very morning. Australasian gannets soar overhead, and I’m told it’s not uncommon for guests to spot the odd seal, pod of dolphins, or even the occasional little penguin.

    The sustainable secret behind Victoria’s best mussels

    blue mussels off Portarlington
    Blue mussels sourced just off Portarlington.

    Connie and Lance both extol the virtues of mussels. They’re delicious. A lean source of protein and packed with omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin B12, iron, selenium, and zinc. They’re cooked in a flash (Connie steams our fresh harvest with cider and onion jam). And they’re also widely regarded as one of the most sustainable foods in the world.

    Portarlington mussels with lemon and chilli
    Mussels served with lemon and chilli.

    “Aquaculture is [often] seen as destructive, so a lot of our guests are really surprised about how environmentally friendly and sustainable our industry is,” Lance says. “[Our mussels] would filter 1.4 billion litres of water a day,” he adds, explaining how mussels remove excess nitrogen and phosphorus from the water. “And through biomineralisation, we lock carbon into mussel shells.”

    a hand holding a Portarlington mussel
    Mussels are a sustainable food.

    Despite their glowing list of accolades, these molluscs have long been seen as the oysters’ poorer cousins. “It was a really slow start,” explains Lance, who says that in the early days of his career, “you could not sell mussels in Victoria”.

    But word has slowly caught on. Chefs as globally acclaimed as Attica’s Ben Shewry and even René Redzepi of Noma, Denmark, have travelled to these very waters just to try the shellfish at the source, sharing only the highest praise, and using Lance’s mussels in their restaurants.

    guests sampling Portarlington mussels onboard
    Sampling the goods onboard. (Image: Visit Victoria/Hannyn Shiggins)

    According to Lance there’s one obvious reason why the cool depths of Portarlington outshine other locations for mussel farming. “The water quality is second to none,” he says, noting how other regions are frequently rocked by harvest closures due to poor water quality. “We grow, without a doubt, some of the best shellfish in the world.” And with Lance’s bold claims backed up by some of the industry’s greatest names, perhaps it won’t be much longer until more Aussies uncover the appeal of Portarlington’s mussels.