Ok, so if you haven’t seen this trend yet, brace yourself, because it’s about to change how you plan your entire year.
There’s a “hack” that’s been doing the rounds for a couple of years now, and every time it resurfaces, the reaction is the same: wait, why did nobody tell me this earlier?
The idea is simple. Public holidays don’t come out of your annual leave balance. So if you’re smart about which days you actually book off, you can chain a public holiday to a weekend to a few days of leave, and suddenly three or four days off work turns into nine, ten, even sixteen days away from your inbox.
We’ve done the maths so you don’t have to. Below is the full 2026 breakdown, state by state, plus the one everyone in NSW, WA and QLD is going to be annoyed they missed if they don’t lock it in early (looking at you, Easter).
Quick disclaimer: these dates are based on the official 2026 public holiday lists published by each state and territory government. The maths below assumes a standard full-time role working Monday to Friday — if you’re part-time, casual, or on a different roster, the ratios will vary, so use these as a template rather than an exact promise. Always double check with your own employer or award before booking flights, because entitlements can vary slightly depending on your industry.
Jump to: Easter · Australia Day · Christmas/New Year · NSW · VIC · QLD · SA · WA · TAS · NT · ACT · Cheat sheet
The cheat sheet, all in one place
Here’s exactly which days to book off and what you get back for it.
| Long weekend | Book this leave off (2026) | You’ll be off from → to | Total days off | Leave used | Applies to |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia Day | Tue 27 – Fri 30 Jan | Sat 24 Jan → Sun 1 Feb | 9 days | 4 days | All states |
| March long weekend | Tue 10 – Fri 13 Mar | Sat 7 → Sun 15 Mar | 9 days | 4 days | VIC, SA, TAS, ACT |
| WA Labour Day | Tue 3 – Fri 6 Mar | Sat 28 Feb → Sun 8 Mar | 9 days | 4 days | WA |
| Easter | Mon 30 Mar – Thu 2 Apr, then Tue 7 – Fri 10 Apr | Sat 28 Mar → Sun 12 Apr | 16 days | 8 days | All states |
| Anzac Day | (no leave needed) | Sat 25 → Mon 27 Apr | 3 days, free | 0 days | NSW, WA, ACT |
| May long weekend | Tue 5 – Fri 8 May | Sat 2 → Sun 10 May | 9 days | 4 days | QLD, NT |
| WA Day | Tue 2 – Fri 5 Jun | Sat 30 May → Sun 7 Jun | 9 days | 4 days | WA |
| King’s Birthday | Tue 9 – Fri 12 Jun | Sat 6 → Sun 14 Jun | 9 days | 4 days | NSW, VIC, SA, TAS, NT |
| ACT: Reconciliation Day + King’s Birthday | Tue 2 – Fri 5 Jun | Sat 30 May → Mon 8 Jun | 10 days | 4 days | ACT only |
| Picnic Day | Tue 4 – Fri 7 Aug | Sat 1 → Sun 9 Aug | 9 days | 4 days | NT |
| WA King’s Birthday | Tue 29 Sep – Fri 2 Oct | Sat 26 Sep → Sun 4 Oct | 9 days | 4 days | WA |
| Labour Day / King’s Birthday (Oct) | Tue 6 – Fri 9 Oct | Sat 3 → Sun 11 Oct | 9 days | 4 days | NSW, QLD, SA, ACT |
| Christmas/New Year | Tue 29 – Thu 31 Dec | Fri 25 Dec → Sun 3 Jan 2027 | 10 days | 3 days | All states |
Add it all up and, depending on your state, most full-time workers can turn their standard 20 days of annual leave into somewhere between 45 and 60+ days away from work in 2026 — without touching a single day of unpaid leave.
The catch? Everyone else has read this too. Get your leave requests in early, especially for Easter and the Christmas/New Year period, before your whole team submits the same dates.
The one everyone should book first: Easter
Easter is the undisputed heavyweight of the annual leave calendar, and 2026 is a good one.
Good Friday: Friday, 3 April Easter Saturday: Saturday, 4 April Easter Sunday: Sunday, 5 April Easter Monday: Monday, 6 April
Here’s the play: take the four workdays before Easter (Monday 30 March to Thursday 2 April) and the four workdays after it (Tuesday 7 April to Friday 10 April).
The trick: 8 days of annual leave. The result: 16 days off in a row, from Saturday 28 March through to Sunday 12 April.
That’s more than two full weeks away from your desk for a third of your standard annual leave allocation. If you’re going to book flights for one thing this year, book them around this.
The other one everyone gets: Australia Day
Australia Day: Monday, 26 January
This one’s already sitting there as a long weekend (Saturday 24 to Monday 26), but you can stretch it a lot further.
The trick: take Tuesday 27 to Friday 30 January off (4 days of annual leave). The result: 9 days off, running from Saturday 24 January right through to Sunday 1 February.
It’s the perfect one to kick off the year with, especially if you’re nursing a January slump and need an excuse to extend the summer holidays just a little bit longer.
The Christmas/New Year cluster (the easiest win of the year)
This is the one that barely requires any planning at all, and it works the same way in every state.
Christmas Day: Friday, 25 December Boxing Day: Saturday, 26 December (with an additional public holiday on Monday, 28 December in every state and territory, since Boxing Day falls on a weekend) New Year’s Day 2027: Friday, 1 January
The trick: take Tuesday 29, Wednesday 30 and Thursday 31 December off (just 3 days of annual leave). The result: 10 days off in a row, from Friday 25 December through to Sunday 3 January 2027.
Three days of leave for a ten-day break over the silly season. This is the one you lock in now, before everyone else in the office has the same idea and HR starts saying no.
Now, the ones that are different depending on where you live
This is where it gets interesting, because your state’s local public holidays can make a much bigger difference to your leave plan than people realise. Some states are quietly sitting on way better hacks than others in 2026.
New South Wales
| Public holiday | 2026 date |
|---|---|
| New Year’s Day | Thursday 1 January |
| Australia Day | Monday 26 January |
| Good Friday–Easter Monday | 3–6 April |
| Anzac Day | Saturday 25 April (+ additional Monday 27 April) |
| King’s Birthday | Monday 8 June |
| Labour Day | Monday 5 October |
| Christmas/Boxing Day | 25–28 December |
Best move: King’s Birthday (Monday 8 June). Take Tuesday 9 to Friday 12 June off (4 days leave) for 9 days off from Saturday 6 to Sunday 14 June. Also don’t sleep on the Anzac Day long weekend — since Anzac Day falls on a Saturday, NSW gets a substitute Monday (27 April), so you already get a free long weekend without touching your leave balance at all.
Planning around the kids too? See our full NSW Public Holidays 2026 list, or check NSW School Holidays 2026 for term dates.
Victoria
| Public holiday | 2026 date |
|---|---|
| New Year’s Day | Thursday 1 January |
| Australia Day | Monday 26 January |
| Labour Day | Monday 9 March |
| Good Friday–Easter Monday | 3–6 April |
| Anzac Day | Saturday 25 April (no substitute) |
| King’s Birthday | Monday 8 June |
| Grand Final Friday | Friday 25 September |
| Melbourne Cup Day | Tuesday 3 November |
| Christmas/Boxing Day | 25–28 December |
Best move: Labour Day (Monday 9 March). Take Tuesday 10 to Friday 13 March off (4 days leave) for 9 days off from Saturday 7 to Sunday 15 March — a great one to use before the weather turns. Bonus: Melbourne Cup Day (Tuesday 3 November) only needs 1 day of leave (Monday 2 November) for a 4-day weekend.
Full list: VIC Public Holidays 2026 · VIC School Holidays 2026
Queensland
| Public holiday | 2026 date |
|---|---|
| New Year’s Day | Thursday 1 January |
| Australia Day | Monday 26 January |
| Good Friday–Easter Monday | 3–6 April |
| Anzac Day | Saturday 25 April (no substitute) |
| Labour Day | Monday 4 May |
| Royal Qld Show (Ekka, Brisbane only) | Wednesday 12 August |
| King’s Birthday | Monday 5 October |
| Christmas/Boxing Day | 25–28 December |
Best move: Labour Day (Monday 4 May). Take Tuesday 5 to Friday 8 May off (4 days leave) for 9 days off from Saturday 2 to Sunday 10 May — a nice shoulder-season window for a Whitsundays or Cairns trip before peak season really kicks in.
Full list: QLD Public Holidays 2026 · QLD School Holidays 2026
South Australia
| Public holiday | 2026 date |
|---|---|
| New Year’s Day | Thursday 1 January |
| Australia Day | Monday 26 January |
| Adelaide Cup Day | Monday 9 March |
| Good Friday–Easter Monday | 3–6 April |
| Anzac Day | Saturday 25 April (no substitute) |
| King’s Birthday | Monday 8 June |
| Labour Day | Monday 5 October |
| Christmas/Proclamation Day | 25–28 December |
Best move: Adelaide Cup Day (Monday 9 March). Take Tuesday 10 to Friday 13 March off (4 days leave) for 9 days off from Saturday 7 to Sunday 15 March. You also get a second bite in June with King’s Birthday, using the same 4-days-leave-for-9-days-off formula.
Full list: SA Public Holidays 2026 · SA School Holidays 2026
Western Australia
| Public holiday | 2026 date |
|---|---|
| New Year’s Day | Thursday 1 January |
| Australia Day | Monday 26 January |
| Labour Day | Monday 2 March |
| Good Friday–Easter Monday | 3–6 April |
| Anzac Day | Saturday 25 April (+ additional Monday 27 April) |
| WA Day | Monday 1 June |
| King’s Birthday | Monday 28 September |
| Christmas/Boxing Day | 25–28 December |
Best move: WA is genuinely one of the best-set-up states in 2026, with public holidays landing in March, June and September on top of the big national ones. Labour Day (2 March) gets you 9 days off for 4 days leave from Saturday 28 February to Sunday 8 March, and WA Day (1 June) does exactly the same trick again three months later.
Full list: WA Public Holidays 2026 · WA School Holidays 2026
Tasmania
| Public holiday | 2026 date |
|---|---|
| New Year’s Day | Thursday 1 January |
| Australia Day | Monday 26 January |
| Eight Hours Day | Monday 9 March |
| Good Friday–Easter Monday | 3–6 April |
| Anzac Day | Saturday 25 April (no substitute) |
| King’s Birthday | Monday 8 June |
| Christmas/Boxing Day | 25–28 December |
Best move: Eight Hours Day (Monday 9 March) — Tassie’s version of Labour Day. Take Tuesday 10 to Friday 13 March off (4 days leave) for 9 days off from Saturday 7 to Sunday 15 March, right as the state’s famous autumn colours start turning. (Regional bonus: Hobart gets Royal Hobart Regatta in February and northern Tassie gets Recreation Day in November — worth checking if your area observes one.)
Full list: TAS Public Holidays 2026
Northern Territory
| Public holiday | 2026 date |
|---|---|
| New Year’s Day | Thursday 1 January |
| Australia Day | Monday 26 January |
| Good Friday–Easter Monday | 3–6 April |
| Anzac Day | Saturday 25 April (no substitute) |
| May Day | Monday 4 May |
| King’s Birthday | Monday 8 June |
| Picnic Day | Monday 3 August |
| Christmas Eve/NYE | part-day holidays, 7pm–midnight |
| Christmas/Boxing Day | 25–28 December |
Best move: the NT quietly has the most public holidays in the country, and Picnic Day (Monday 3 August) is the standout hack nobody talks about. Take Tuesday 4 to Friday 7 August off (4 days leave) for 9 days off from Saturday 1 to Sunday 9 August — smack in the middle of the Territory’s best dry-season weather.
Full list: NT Public Holidays 2026 · NT School Holidays 2026
Australian Capital Territory
| Public holiday | 2026 date |
|---|---|
| New Year’s Day | Thursday 1 January |
| Australia Day | Monday 26 January |
| Canberra Day | Monday 9 March |
| Good Friday–Easter Monday | 3–6 April |
| Anzac Day | Saturday 25 April (+ additional Monday 27 April) |
| Reconciliation Day | Monday 1 June |
| King’s Birthday | Monday 8 June |
| Labour Day | Monday 5 October |
| Christmas/Boxing Day | 25–28 December |
Best move, and honestly the best hack in the entire country this year: Canberra gets Reconciliation Day on Monday 1 June, and King’s Birthday exactly one week later on Monday 8 June. Take just 4 days of annual leave (Tuesday 2 to Friday 5 June) to bridge the two, and you get 15 days off in a row — from Saturday 30 May all the way through to Sunday 14 June. Nowhere else in Australia can turn 4 days of leave into 15 days off. If you live or work in the ACT, this is the one to lock in immediately.