How to turn 20 days of leave into 45 days of time off in 2024

Okay, so most of us might be back at work now, but that doesn’t mean we can’t gaze wistfully out the window and start to mentally plan our future trips instead of working. (I’m not doing this right now, I promise)

New Zealand’s loaded up with public holidays in 2024, and if you want to maximise your annual leave , you’re going to want to have this guide handy as you turn 20 days of annual leave into an enormous 45 days on the road.

So stop gazing longingly at December 2024 in the calendar, and start working out how you can have some awesome long weekends all through the year!

March

Take leave on: 25th, 26th, 27th, 28th, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th (April)

You know the feeling. March rolls around, the weather’s still fine, and the memory of your Christmas break is fading faster than your summer tan.

Easter is the best time of year to take an extended break, with Friday 29th and Monday 1st already days off. It might seem like a lot, but using 8 days of leave over this period gives you, wait for it, 16 straight days off!

If you don’t want to use up all those days so early in the year, take 4 days either side of the Easter weekend and still nab yourself a full 10 day break.

You should go:

The South Island is incredible year-round, but with so much to explore across the rugged and ancient island, a longer trip is definitely the time to hit up Te Waipounamu.

Check out our South Island itinerary

April

Take leave on: 26th

So your Big Break in March was pretty perfect, but it’s set off that need within you to keep scrolling through the Camplify listing page to see what vans are available in April.

Thankfully, the public holiday gods have been extra kind to us in 2024, with Anzac Day landing on Thursday 25th. Take just 1 day of leave on the 26th to give yourself that much needed four-day long weekend in the middle of autumn.

You should go:

With autumn well and truly having kicked off by now, your best bet is the gorgeous town of Wānaka just outside of Queenstown. An incredible destination full of activities, you’ll be wishing you had more than four days here.

Check out our Wānaka travel guide

June

Take leave on: 31st (May), 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th

It might still sound strange rolling off the tongue, but the King’s Birthday public holiday falls on Monday 3rd June in 2024.

For just 5 days of leave, you can make yourself forget there were no public holidays in May with an epic 10 day getaway in the middle of the year. Have you even been working this year at all?

You should go:

Pretend that winter doesn’t exist by taking a trip to the Coromandel Peninsula, where it stays warmer for longer than the southern parts of the country. Wild forests, stunning beaches, and gloriously remote, what’s not to love?

Check out our Coromandel travel guide

October

Take leave on: 25th, 29th, 30th

It’s a bit of a wait for our next public holiday, but Monday 28th is your final pre-Christmas chance to score an extended break.

Take the Friday, Tuesday & Wednesday off for a delightful 6-day break as the lead up to summer truly begins.

You should go:

We’ve done the maths, and 6 days is the perfect amount of time to head north and journey between Auckland and Wellington. Oh, and we even made an itinerary for you.

Check out our Auckland to Wellington itinerary

December

Take leave on: 23rd, 24th, 27th

With most Kiwis getting 20 days of leave per year, and if you’ve followed our guide to the tee (you really should, you know), then you’ll be left with 3 days of leave to make the most of some December fun.

Christmas Day and Boxing Day fall on a Wednesday and Thursday this year, so using those 3 days wisely will grant you a lovely 9 day break to enjoy the summer festivities. If you’ve got even more leave banked up, chuck some days off on the 30th, 31st, 2nd & 3rd, and score a mammoth 16 consecutive days off work.

Looks like 2024 is going to be a good year for adventuring.

You should go:

Anywhere! Summer’s the best time to get out and enjoy our unique country, from the mountains and lakes to the forests and beaches. You can’t go wrong on a December road trip.