How to turn 20 days of leave into 47 days of holidays in 2020

We've had a good look-see at the 2020 calendar and worked out some cheeky hacks to extend those 20 precious days leave into...wait for it...47 days of paid leave! Yeah, you can thank us later

Oh, and this plan only includes the most common public holidays – national holidays on Australia Day, Easter, Anzac Day and Christmas – and doesn’t even account for all of the weird and wonderful public holidays that dot the calendar in various states and territories (we’re looking at you, Northern Territory Picnic Day). Now that you know when to take your 20 days of leave, where should you spend your 47 days of holidays? Funnily enough, we've got that sorted, too. 

NSW North East Coast 

21 Dec 2019 to 6 Jan 2020 - 17 days off for 7 days leave (if you have a few 2019 days up your sleeve and can take an extended Chrissy break!)

 If you've been squirreling away those hard-earned days off, you could go the whole turkey and dismiss yourself from 21 December all the way to 6 Jan, giving you 17 glorious away-from-your-desk days. Every port is a highlight, from Coffs Harbour, the mid-point between Sydney and Byron, where you'll learn to surf and to slow down; to Bellingen YHA where you'll feel more zen and connected than an influencer coming back to Aus after finding themselves, to Yamba YHA where you'll experience the warmest hospitality (and sun!) of your life, over to Nimbin Rox YHA to sleep under the stars and with fairies, and of course ending in Byron Bay (just in time for the NYE crowd to have nursed their hangovers and toddled back home). You're going to be sunkissed, salty-toed, and happy as bloody Larry. Happy new year!

Escape to Wine Country

24 to 27 January 2020 - 4 days off for 1 day leave

You can't miss an escape to the Hunter Valley, not only for the crisp country air and stunning sunsets, but for the hikes, adventure and that small town charm a short stretch from Sydney. You'll need every one of these four days to soak up all the atmosphere, and all the delicious wine! Hire a bike for the ultimate wine country adventure, or spend an day exploring the nearby national parks to tackle the Great North Walk. Top it all off with a wine and cheese tasting for the perfect weekend away. Never fear if you prefer beer, we have a brewery tour at our neighbouring brewery, right by Hunter Valley YHA.

Explorer's Way 

10 to 19 April 2020- 10 days off for 4 days leave

You truly haven't experienced this country until you've zipped your way up her midline. Harsh, varied, otherworldly, vast, breathtaking - and that's just in the first few days! The Explorer's Way snakes all the way from the base of South Australia to the tip of the Northern Territory, passing highlights like the underground town of Cooper Pedy, our indigenous heartland Uluru, sprawling and stunning Litchfield and Kakadu National Parks and ending in our tropical top end, Darwin. Trust us, you want the whole ten days to make this trip of a lifetime - savour every minute. 

Queensland

6 to 14 June 2020 – 9 days off for 4 days leave

As the winter chill starts to bite Australia’s southern states, it’s time to migrate to warmer weather... but, this time we're going coastal. Book a budget getaway to sunny Queensland with YHA – and with 14 hostels sprinkled all the way up the Queensland coast, we’ve got you covered wherever your winter wanderlust may lead.

Noosa, Airlie Beach, Cairns, Port Douglas – there’s no shortage of choice for a mid-year injection of Vitamin D, but it’s hard to go past the tropical treats of Magnetic Island. Catch the ferry to Magnetic Island for a stay at the Bungalow Bay Koala Village, the only resort in Australia with its own on-site nature reserve and just a stroll from the golden sands of Horseshoe Bay. 

Melbourne

18 to 20 September 2020 - 3 days off for 1 days leave 

Sometimes, you just gotta give yourself a long weekend for the sake of it. Melbourne is the perfect weekend escape, even more with magical stage shows and banging coffee. We've kept this cheeky getaway stored up so you can head to Melbs whenever you nab tickets, but we reccommend going in September to break up the tail end of your year a little bit. Read here for an ode to HP we wrote, and remember that Melbourne Central YHA and Melbourne Metro YHA are offering super special deals on their beds and rooms right next to all the magic. 

Western Australia

21 Dec 2019 to 6 Jan 2020 - 16 days off for 7 days leave

Get away over Christmas with an escape to the West Coast. Well, maybe ‘escape’ isn’t the right word to describe your stay at Fremantle Prison YHA – which, as you might be able to figure out from the name, is built in a former prison. If you’re travelling with the kids, book one of the beautifully restored 19th Century guards cottages overlooking the historic port city, while there are modern private and multi-share rooms in the former women’s wing of the prison itself, including twin and double ‘cells’. 

Don’t miss out on the chance to catch a ferry and cycle around the white-sand beaches of nearby Rottnest Island, or the opportunity to discover some other corners of this vast state. Margaret River, three hours’ drive south of Perth, is a compulsory stop for its world-class wineries, mouth-watering local produce, and wind-swept beaches.

We have oodles of tours on offer, ranging from day trips to 8-day adventures, so you'll be sure to see all the very best bits of our otherworldly Western coast. 

Ready to put in that leave application? Don't forget to pick up an ePack to lock in the lowest rate on your room, and we'll catch you on the road!