Australian School Holidays
Did you know holidays for schools in Australia vary from state to state?
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Whether you are planning a holiday to the Gold Coast from another part of Australia, or from overseas, term and holiday dates for schools can impact your visit. All the states set their own school holiday dates, so it can be confusing.
Read on, to find out more about the different school holiday dates and what can impact your holidays, or use the Options Menu to skip to the topic or dates you are interested in.
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School holidays and major events can impact your holiday.
When planning your holiday, one of the first things to work out is when you will visit and in making that decision, you want to have an idea whether you will be coming at a busy time, or quieter time.
If you haven't already got my Holiday Planning Sheets, now is a great time to get them and start filling them in and working through the planning for your holiday.
The Gold Coast is extremely popular with families, so whether you have children or not, it's really useful for planning to know when the local school children will be on holidays.
Peak school holiday times for the local Queensland (Qld) kids generally means that accommodation will be harder to book and more expensive at these times.
It also means the theme parks and attractions will be busier, queues longer and anything that has limited availability definitely needs booking at least a few weeks in advance.
Examples of this would be:
- Shows like Australian Outback Spectacular
- Dolphin swims and experiences at Sea World
- Whale watching
- Hire Cars - and any extras such as baby seats
- Cots and high-chairs for young children at your accommodation
Why School Term Dates Differ Across Australia
Australia has 6 States (QLD, NSW, VIC, SA, WA and TAS) plus 2 Territories (NT and ACT). Each has a state government responsible for education. This means that school term dates in each state can be quite different.
Gold Coast peak season for flights and accommodation is usually when both NSW and Qld state schools are on vacation. Double check when you book because even a few days can make a big difference to the cost of your trip.
Most schools around Australia work around a 4 term school year. Tasmania is on 3 terms (but term 1 has a holiday in the middle so it is almost 4 terms!) from 2013 Tassie is coming into line with the other Australian states and moving to 4 terms.
during September school holidays!
Seriously LOVE the Gold Coast beaches.
Main Dates For School Holidays for Australian State Schools
- Summer Holidays
- Mid December to late January (6 to 8 weeks)
- End of Term 1
- Usually also includes Easter period
Mid March to mid April (1 to 3 weeks) this depends when Easter falls
- Winter Holidays
- Mid June to mid July (2 to 3 weeks)
- End of Term 3
- Mid September to mid October (2 to 3 weeks)
Busiest times are when all schools are on vacation at the same time!
Interstate visitors with children can sometimes sneak in to the Gold Coast at the begining or end of their holidays and pay off peak rates.
Generally the price of accommodation is based upon the Qld and NSW state school dates.
Visitors without children and the flexibility to choose can save money by avoiding these peak times.
The exception to this is when there is a big event on such as Gold Coast 600 V8 Super Cars event in October (formerly Gold Coast Indy).
Major Holiday Dates for Schools for 2019
- Saturday 15 December 2018 to Monday 29 Janaury 2019
- Saturday 6 April 2019 to Tuesday 29 April 2019
- Saturday 29 June 2019 to Monday 22 July 2019
- Saturday 21 September 2019 to Sunday 13 October 2019
- Saturday 14 December 2019 to Monday 29 January 2020
Public holidays this year include: New Years Day Tuesday 1 January 2019, Australia Day Saturday 26 January 2019 - Public Holiday for Australia Day Monday 28 January 2019. Easter is from Friday 19 April to Monday 22 April 2019. ANZAC Day is Thursday 25 April 2019, Labour Day is Monday 6 May 2019, Queens Birthday Monday 7 October 2019, Christmas Day Wednesday 25 December 2019 and Boxing Day Thursday 26 December 2019. In addition there is Gold Coast Show Day Friday TBA August/September 2019 and for the Brisbane region EKKA Day is Wednesday 14 August 2019.
Please Note: Dates above encompass when either Qld or NSW or both are on school holiday because these two states have the biggest impact on the Gold Coast peak tourist season and prices. For actual term dates for each state click here for my quick holiday dates.
Major Holiday Dates for Schools for 2020
- Saturday 14 December 2019 to Monday 27 Janaury 2020
- Saturday 4 April 2020 to Sunday 26 April 2020
- Saturday 27 June 2020 to Sunday 19 July 2020
- Saturday 19 September 2020 to Sunday 11 October 2020
- Saturday 12 December 2020 to Tuesday 26 January 2021
Public holidays this year include: New Years Day Wednesday 1 January 2020, Australia Day Sunday 26 January 2020 - Public Holiday for Australia Day Monday 27 January 2020. Easter is from Friday 10 April to Monday 13 April 2020. ANZAC Day is Saturday 25 April 2020, Labour Day is Monday 4 May 2020, Queens Birthday Monday 5 October 2020, Christmas Day Friday 25 December 2020 and Boxing Day Saturday 26 December 2020, Public Holiday for Boxing Day Monday 28 December 2020. In addition there is Gold Coast Show Day Friday TBA August/September 2020 and for the Brisbane region EKKA Day is Wednesday 12 August 2020.
Please Note: Dates above encompass when either Qld or NSW or both are on school holiday because these two states have the biggest impact on the Gold Coast peak tourist season and prices. For actual term dates for each state click here for my quick holiday dates.
Gold Coast Local Information
Latest Deals
Here's a selection of the hot deals at the moment. For a full selection including accommodation, activities, transport, tours, packages and more check out my main selection of deals or specific theme park deals check out Theme Park Passes ...
3 days of Entry to Dreamworld, WhiteWater World and SkyPoint Observation Deck within 7 consecutive days.
Plenty of time to visit these theme parks & Surfers Paradise attraction SkyPoint Observation Deck for up to 3 full days at your leisure over the 7 days.
Use within 12 months of purchase date.
Entry to Dreamworld, WhiteWater World and SkyPoint over 3 days within 7 consecutive days from first gate entry.
Check for special bonuses.
Visit Sea World, Movie World and Wet n Wild once each over 5 consecutive days.
Big savings over single entry tickets and online prices are cheaper than at the gate.
Cheapest option for Village Theme Park Passes.
Pass valid for single entry to each of the theme parks Sea World, Movie World & Wet n Wild over 5 consecutive days.
Cheapest way for entry to 2 or more theme parks.
Pass is valid for first use within 12 months from purchase.
Spend a few hours or a whole day at Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary.
Watch the shows. Hand feed the kangaroos. Get your photo taken with a koala. There's so much to see and do. Check out all the information about Currumbin and other activities.
TOP PICK for visitors who want to see, touch and get photos with some iconic Aussie animals.
Single Day Entry Ticket To Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary. Includes shows, excludes food for animals, photos with animals and other extra activities.
Follow links for all pricing including special limited time deals and family options.
Great evening of entertainment. Enjoy a story of Australian outback life showcasing horsemanship & Aussie mateship.
Watch the show whilst enjoying your 3 course dinner. Fun night with lots of great memories and a souvenir bushman's hat.
Book now for all shows.
Child, Vegetarian & Halal meal options available.
MUST SEE Dinner & Show.
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