Australia is full of diverse and widespread cultures, and with that comes a lot of public holidays to celebrate at different times throughout the year. In true Aussie tradition, we as people have made it our mission to make the most of public holidays and long weekends since they have been a thing, because what better excuse do we have to take an extra day (sometimes two) off from work and fill an 12 volt fridge with the best, and spend some quality time with friends and family?? Without a doubt the beers always taste better on a long weekend, especially on the day you should have been working. With this extra time many families plan ahead so that the whole crew can get together and take on a few games of beer pong or have massive Aussie cook up, sometimes even heading out of town to tourist locations and camping spots all over the place. Definitely something that we can all pride ourselves on, is that we all want the same thing on a long weekend… Freedom!

Undoubtedly the most sought-after public holiday of the year, is Australia Day. The day where just about anyone and everyone is a fiend for a coldie from an car fridge full of the best on the beach. Any beach, as long as there is sand, you’ll find hordes of people making the most of a day off to celebrate this beautiful country. This day should also be marked as national gazebo day, as these certainly get a workout all around the country! Sometimes this holiday falls awkwardly for employers, and results in some workers chucking a sickie to get an extra day off post their large celebrations.

Some people celebrate Christmas in July, where families get together and spend the day celebrating as if it were Christmas, as it’s the closes we’ll get to a snowy Christmas day here in Australia, at least it will be cold. Perfect weather for camping if you’re able to brave the elements, and also a great way to get the family together for basically no reason and cook up some grub on the portable BBQ. Not all states recognise this as a public holiday, but if you can claim this one as a long weekend where you can kick back and enjoy Australia, then go right ahead!

ANZAC Day is another big one for Australians, where we celebrate the lives of those that served for our country and allowed us to be where we are today. Of course, we all offer a toast with a cold one from the 12 volt cooler and down a few ANZAC biccies throughout the day, courtesy of Nanna and her traditional recipes which go way harder than any store-bought versions. Another day which get hoards of people to cook up a storm on their camping BBQ and kick back with family after dawn services and enjoy being Australia, and not having to be at work. The charcoal smokers, BBQs and cast iron cook sets get a decent workout on this day as we all get together and enjoy our long weekend.

Now one for our British counterparts, the Queen’s Birthday is not on everyone’s celebration list, but hey it’s a weekday off from work, so we’ll stop complaining and get on with it. Now, one of the supersized long weekends which definitely brings us together, is Australians biggest camping holiday and is the one for all the bunny lovers! That’s right, Easter. What better reason to have FOUR days in a row to kick back with family and roll and the swags or pop the roof top tents and put those camping skills to good use, as well as binging on chocolate that you stole from a nephew without them noticing! Sometimes making its presence known during the school holidays, this early-mid year even can turn into quite a big one and finds many people spending time away from home and braving the colder weather to enjoy our countryside whilst keeping cosy in their premium sleeping bags. As long as you have the right gear to keep you charged up and warm while you’re out there, and a quality portable fridge to keep those cold beers flowing easily. Whack on a travel BBQ or cook something over the campfire use a grill plate, and this will be one of the best long weekends every year, without fail.

Of course, where would we be without the other supersized long weekend, sometimes mid-week turns into a weekend also, that’s right, the real Christmas. Followed by Boxing Day making it an absolute double whammy, this is yet another school holiday treat where you can enjoy family time and take advantage of all that great camping gear you have rigged up to the 4WD, only this time it’s a long weekend full of hot weather, so some water sports will not go astray, whether it be on the river, or at the beach, you’ll take advantage of the extra days off no doubt. The beauty of this one, is it can sometimes turn into two weekends in a row that are longer than usual, with New Years Eve and New Years Day following just a few days later. Thus a perfect time to crack out the stand up paddle board or go for a adventure on your two person kayak. Plan ahead, and make sure you have enough food and drink to get you through the end of the Festive Season.

So, there you have it, this amazing country has many National Public Holidays, and many others that are only recognised in some states, but no doubt it gives us plenty of opportunity for extra days off (some fully paid) and allows us to take our adventures to the next level at different times throughout the year. If you’re clever enough you can structure your annual leave and expected days off around these public holidays and long weekends, to keep more annual leave up your sleeve for when you decide to make your own long weekend. I hope you’ve found motivation from this to get outdoors and enjoy the weather, smash some dunes with the fourby, and crack out your travel fishing rod and throw a line in that secret fishing spot, as if you needed convincing… but seriously, if you’re going to do it, you might as well make a meal of it and do it on a long weekend. So to truly maximise your next long weekend head into your nearest 4WD Supacentre store, or simple jump online to get yourself some quality gear to truly make the most of those epic long weekends.