Too many places to travel, too little leave? If you’re already scanning the calendar, dreaming of sunny getaways or indulgent long weekends in the city, you’re certainly not the only one. Here’s the best part: with some strategic planning, you can combine weekends, days off and Australia’s generous public holiday schedule to double your time away from work.
Read on for how to get the most out of your annual leave, or check out Australian school holiday escapes.
How far can you stretch your annual leave in 2027?
In 2027, a few well-placed annual leave days can turn public holidays into four-to-10-day holidays, depending on where you live, your working week and any additional workplace holidays.
| Public holiday | Annual leave needed | Total break and best suited to |
| New Year’s Day, Friday 1 January | 4 days for a 7-day break, or five days for 10 days | Longer domestic escape or international beach holiday |
| Australia Day, Tuesday 26 January | Monday 25 January | 4 days, ideal for a city break or regional escape |
| Easter, Friday 26 to Monday 29 March | Tuesday 30 March to Friday 2 April | 10 days, ideal for a beach holiday, tour or longer interstate trip |
| Anzac Day, Sunday 25 April where Monday 26 applies | Tuesday 27 to Friday 30 April | Nine days, suited to a domestic coastal or regional escape |
| King’s Birthday, Monday 14 June where observed | Tuesday 15 to Friday 18 June | Nine days, suited to a winter resort or wellness stay |
| State-based Monday holidays | The following Tuesday to Friday | Nine days, suited to a domestic road trip or regional stay |
| Christmas and Boxing Day | Wednesday 29 to Friday 31 December | A potentially longer festive break, depending on 2028 substitute holidays |
The public holidays worth planning around
1. New Year’s Day
Public holiday: Friday 1 January
Take annual leave: Monday 4 January to Thursday 7 January (four days)
Total break: Friday 1 January to Sunday 10 January – (10 days)
Best suited to: A longer domestic escape or an international beach holiday
Starting the year with four days of leave can create a 10-day break. It’s a useful window for a summer road trip, a coastal stay or a longer flight to somewhere cooler in the Northern Hemisphere.
2. Australia Day
Public holiday: Tuesday 26 January
Take annual leave: Monday 25 January – (one day)
Total break: Saturday 23 January to Tuesday 26 January – (four days)
Best suited to: A short city break, regional stay or long weekend by the coast
One day away from work creates a useful long weekend. Keep this break close to home and you can spend more time enjoying the destination than travelling to it.
3. Easter
Public holidays: Good Friday 26 March and Easter Monday 29 March
Take annual leave: Tuesday 30 March to Friday 2 April – (four days)
Total break: Friday 26 March to Sunday 4 April – (10 days)
Best suited to: A domestic resort stay, overseas beach holiday, tour or cruise
Easter is one of the clearest leave-saving opportunities of the year. Four weekdays can give you enough time for a longer interstate trip, beach resort stay, guided tour or overseas holiday.
4. King’s Birthday
Public holiday: Monday 14 June where observed
Take annual leave: Tuesday 15 June to Friday 18 June – four days
Total break: Saturday 12 June to Sunday 20 June – nine days
Best suited to: A mid-year city break, warm-weather resort or winter escape
The King’s Birthday falls on Monday 14 June in the ACT, NSW, South Australia, Tasmania and Victoria. Northern Territory also observes the holiday on this date. Queensland celebrates it on Monday 4 October, while Western Australia observes it on Monday 27 September.
If your state observes the June public holiday, four days of leave creates a nine-day break. It’s a useful time for a city stay, a food-and-wine weekend or a warm-weather escape before the winter school holidays.
5. Christmas and Boxing Day
Public holidays: Christmas Day on Saturday 25 December and Boxing Day on Sunday 26 December
Substitute holidays: Monday 27 December and Tuesday 28 December in many jurisdictions
Take annual leave: Wednesday 29 December to Friday 31 December – three days
Total break: Confirm with your state or territory’s 2027–28 calendar
Best suited to: A festive domestic holiday, family escape or longer international trip
Your state-by-state guides to longer breaks
Each state also has its own public holidays. Here’s how you can maximise your days off, state by state.
Australian Capital Territory
Canberra Day: Monday 8 March
Take annual leave: Tuesday 9 March to Friday 12 March – four days
Total break: Saturday 6 March to Sunday 14 March – nine days
Best suited to: A Canberra city break, regional food and wine stay or NSW South Coast holiday
The ACT also observes Reconciliation Day on Monday 31 May and the King’s Birthday on Monday 14 June. These two holidays sit close enough together to create a useful mid-year planning window, although the exact leave combination depends on how many days you can take.
New South Wales
Anzac Day additional holiday: Monday 26 April
Take annual leave: Tuesday 27 April to Friday 30 April – four days
Total break: Saturday 24 April to Sunday 2 May – nine days
Best suited to: A coastal stay, Hunter Valley escape or Sydney city break
NSW receives an additional public holiday on Monday 26 April because Anzac Day falls on a Sunday. Four days of leave afterwards create a nine-day break. The King’s Birthday falls on Monday 14 June, while Labour Day falls on Monday 4 October. Both create further nine-day opportunities when paired with four days of annual leave.
Northern Territory
May Day: Monday 3 May
Take annual leave: Tuesday 4 May to Friday 7 May – four days
Total break: Saturday 1 May to Sunday 9 May – nine days
Best suited to: A Darwin stay, Top End adventure or tropical escape
The Northern Territory also observes the King’s Birthday on Monday 14 June and Picnic Day on Monday 2 August. Four days of leave after either holiday create nine-day breaks. For a shorter option, the Brisbane-style two-day pattern does not apply here, so prioritise the Monday holidays when planning a longer trip.
Queensland
Labour Day: Monday 3 May
Take annual leave: Tuesday 4 May to Friday 7 May – four days
Total break: Saturday 1 May to Sunday 9 May – nine days
Best suited to: A Sunshine Coast, Gold Coast or Tropical North Queensland escape
Queensland’s King’s Birthday falls on Monday 4 October, creating another nine-day opportunity with four days of leave.
In Brisbane, the Royal Queensland Show public holiday falls on Wednesday 11 August. Take Monday 9 August and Tuesday 10 August to create a five-day break from Saturday 7 August to Wednesday 11 August. The show holiday varies by location, so check whether it applies to your workplace.
South Australia
Adelaide Cup Day: Monday 8 March
Take annual leave: Tuesday 9 March to Friday 12 March – four days
Total break: Saturday 6 March to Sunday 14 March – nine days
Best suited to: An Adelaide city break, Barossa Valley stay or Fleurieu Peninsula escape
South Australia also observes the King’s Birthday on Monday 14 June and Labour Day on Monday 4 October. Both create nine-day breaks when paired with four days of annual leave.
The state has additional arrangements around Christmas, Proclamation Day, Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve. Check the official state calendar before planning a longer festive holiday.
Tasmania
Royal Hobart Show: Thursday 21 October
Take annual leave: Friday 22 October and Monday 25 October – two days
Total break: Thursday 21 October to Monday 25 October – five days
Best suited to: A Hobart food-and-wine break, vineyard stay or Tasmanian road trip
Tasmania’s Royal Hobart Regatta falls on Monday 8 February in selected areas, while Eight Hours Day falls on Monday 8 March statewide. The King’s Birthday falls on Monday 14 June.
The Royal Hobart Show creates a useful five-day break with only two days of annual leave. The holiday applies only in selected areas, so confirm eligibility before booking.
Victoria
Labour Day: Monday 8 March
Take annual leave: Tuesday 9 March to Friday 12 March – four days
Total break: Saturday 6 March to Sunday 14 March – nine days
Best suited to: A Melbourne city break, Yarra Valley stay or coastal escape
Victoria observes the King’s Birthday on Monday 14 June. The AFL Grand Final public holiday date remains subject to the 2027 fixture.
Melbourne Cup: Tuesday 2 November
Take annual leave: Friday 29 October and Monday 1 November – two days
Total break: Friday 29 October to Tuesday 2 November – five days
Best suited to: A Melbourne food, culture and dining weekend
The Melbourne Cup creates a five-day break with two days of leave. Some regional areas observe the holiday on a different date, so check your local arrangements.
Western Australia
Anzac Day additional holiday: Monday 26 April
Take annual leave: Tuesday 27 April to Friday 30 April – four days
Total break: Saturday 24 April to Sunday 2 May – nine days
Best suited to: A Perth city break, Margaret River stay or Coral Coast escape
Western Australia Day falls on Monday 7 June, while the King’s Birthday falls on Monday 27 September in most areas. Four days of leave after either holiday create nine-day breaks.
The King’s Birthday date may differ in some regional areas. Check the Western Australian government calendar if you work outside Perth.
Where to go with your extra days off
A four-day break doesn’t need to become a complicated itinerary. Save the longer flights for nine- or 10-day stretches, and use shorter leave blocks to settle into somewhere easy, close and genuinely restorative.
For a four-day break: make it an easy Sunshine Coast getaway
Four days calls for an escape that starts the moment you arrive. At Novotel Sunshine Coast Resort, you can settle beside the saltwater lagoon, wake to daily breakfast and raise a glass each evening – all without spending half the break in transit. It’s an easy fit for a two or three-night stay, particularly if you’re travelling from Queensland, NSW or Victoria.
For a Western Australian long weekend: sleep closer to the sea
Rottnest Island feels a world away without the long travel time. At Discovery Resorts Rottnest Island, beachside eco glamping, daily breakfast and a dining credit make it easy to settle into island time from the moment you arrive. Stay for a long weekend, or why not make it the first stop on a longer Western Australian coastal adventure?
For a nine-day break: take the long way through the Flinders Ranges
Take the scenic route through South Australia and let your holiday be about the journey as well as the destination. Build your road trip around Arkaba Homestead in the Flinders Ranges, where an adults-only all-inclusive stay includes guided safaris and unlimited free-flow drinks. Spend a few days exploring the region, then make the homestead the memorable centrepiece of your escape.
For Easter’s 10-day break: slow down in Nusa Dua
Easter gives you enough time to make Bali feel like a holiday, not just a change of scenery. At Grand Hyatt Bali, you can spend the first few days settling into Nusa Dua’s quieter resort rhythm, with pool time, all-inclusive dining and massages, then use a day or two to explore Uluwatu’s clifftop temple or Jimbaran’s seafood restaurants. With unlimited free-flow drinks included, there’s still time to return to the resort, slow down and enjoy the final days of your break.
Offer availability, travel dates, blackout periods and minimum stays can change. Check that your selected offer covers the leave block you’re planning, particularly around Easter and Christmas when flights and accommodation are in higher demand.
Feature image: Essence Peregian Beach, Sunshine Coast.
