Politicians put on their out-of-office messages and either spend quality time at home or journey overseas to get some well-earned R, R &R (rest, relaxation and regular person time).

But one MP is working through this year.

Malcolm Turnbull will keep wearing the prime ministerial hat. And keep his phone on.

He plans to base himself in Sydney and spend some time at his family farm in the Hunter Valley.

Admittedly "Prime Minister" is a job that is almost impossible to take an absolute holiday from, but Turnbull has chosen not to delegate the responsibilities to any of his colleagues.

This sits in contrast to some of his predecessors who did take official summer breaks.

Tony Abbott went to Europe while he was prime minister, and continued to take his traditional family week at Sussex Inlet.

John Howard holidayed at Hawks Nest and Julia Gillard liked to head back to her folks in Adelaide.

But if Turnbull's move seems curious on paper (shouldn't he be recharging ahead of a big election year?), it makes perfect sense when you think about what's going on around him.

While he's currently doing one of the busiest gigs in the country, Turnbull has only been PM for just over three months. As with any other new job, you'd be understandably unwilling to go on a break so soon after getting your feet next to the standing desk.

With most of the government on holidays (and therefore less like to bother him), things will be quieter than usual. It's a chance to catch up on reading and briefings and plan ahead.

Indeed, there's also the chance that perhaps (just perhaps) a poll could be called for early 2016.

Going on a total break would also create the kind of vacuum that might make it very tempting for certain former prime ministers to do some more freelancing. So there's good territorial reasons to stick around.

Besides, can you really imagine Turnbull handing over reins of power and making Warren Truss acting Prime Minister at the moment given the National Party's recent attempts to snare Ian Macfarlane?

He would return from holidays to find half the cabinet sacked and replaced with National Party MPs.