If there’s one thing camping enthusiasts can agree on it’s that life is better when you balance your busy work life with as many days living the good life in your camper trailer as possible! If you work hard but want to play even harder, this one is for you. We’re going to show you exactly how to maximise your annual leave by strategically planning your time off around public holidays and weekends, so you can potentially turn 20 annual leave days into 45 days of camping adventure!
January
Australia Day falls on a Friday in 2024, so to score yourself a four-day long weekend from Friday 26th – Monday 29th January, be sure to lock Monday 29th January in as an annual leave day.
March/April
Thanks to the 2 public holidays either side of the weekend at Easter, April is always a popular time to plan a getaway. To maximise your annual leave and turn Easter into a 10-day break, all you need to do is request Tuesday 2nd April, Wednesday 3rd April, Thursday 4th April, and Friday 5th April off. That’s right, by taking just 4 annual leave days, you can plan an extended adventure in your camper from Friday 29th March all the way to Sunday 7th April.
In fact, April may very well turn out to be your favourite month if you book your annual leave right! Thanks to Anzac Day, in exchange for just 4 of your annual leave days, you could be putting your feet up for another hard-earned nine-day break! Want to know how?
The dates to book in with your employer are Monday 22nd April, Tuesday 23rd April, Wednesday 24th April and Friday 25th April, giving you Saturday 20th April until Sunday 28th April to camp your little heart out!
December 2024/January 2025
Planning a fishing trip with your mates, or looking forward to some quality time with family over the Christmas break? You can maximise your annual leave and turn 5 of your annual leave days into a 12-day break. Not too shabby, eh? By organising in advance with your employer to take off Monday 23rd December, Tuesday 24th December, Friday 27th December, Monday 30th December and Tuesday 31st December . This will give you from Saturday 21st December through to Monday 1st January to fit in some end-of-year travel.
If you have the standard 20 days of annual leave, this still leaves you with 6 days up your sleeve. We recommend looking at what other public holidays your state observes. For example, for Victorians Melbourne Cup Day falls on Tuesday 5th November, so by using an annual leave day on Monday 4th November, you could secure yourself a nice little 4-day break. You get the idea!
Camping Spots Within 2 Hours of Your Capital City
The great thing is that, thanks to the diversity of the Australian landscape, you don’t have to go far to find adventure. There are so many great camping options within just 2 hours of each capital city. Here are just a few you might like to add to the wish list!
- Melbourne: Yarra Valley and the Dandenong Ranges, Mornington Peninsula
- Sydney: For a comprehensive list, read our Top Ten Places to Camp Within 2 Hours of Sydney
- Brisbane: Bribie Island – Ocean Beach camping, Brisbane Valley Rail Trail
What are you waiting for? We’ve done all the hard work for you! Now all you need to do is square those dates with your employer and start planning where to take your JAWA off-road camper trailer in 2024!
