yeh, i didn't mean he has gone forever....
like the actor who plays Joe Scully, he was over here doing pantos when he was in Negihbours but in neighbours his story was that he was with his dad or something fighting forest fires?

They all get christmas off anyway but joe scully is a different case. The actor who played him got sacked. Reasons still a bit of a mystery, alchohol and drug use have been suggested. But one afternoon the producers just escorted him off the set, hence why he dissapeared very quickly.
Any time off the actors do get isn't goint to translate to here straight away anyway. Theres at least a months gap between filming and it going out in australia. Then we are a good few months behind anyway. (We didn't get the end of year christmas special till the start of march). This gap is slowley getting smaller however as they get a bigger break at summer, while ours tends only to be wimbledon, although this can depend on other major sporting events and where they are being held. (live events unlikely to clash if on the other side of the world).
If you watch an episode of neighbours on average only about 1/2 to 1/3 of the cast appear in each one anyway, so it's quite possible for an actor to have 2-3 weeks off, maybe recording a few extra scenes before he goes, with out anybody really noticing.