How To Maximise Your Annual Leave in 2026: Turn 20 Days Off into More than 50

Planning a holiday in 2026 isn’t just about cheap flights. It’s about playing the public-holiday grid like a seasoned traveller. With a bit of forward thinking, most Aussies can stretch the standard 20 days of annual leave into more than 50 days off. That’s long enough to do a proper Euro trip, finally attempt that home reno you’ve been ignoring, or forget your work password.

The trick? Book leave around the big public holiday clusters throughout the year: New Year’s, Australia Day, Easter, the King’s Birthday and each state’s local Labour Day equivalent. Do it well, and you can clock up to 53 days off — and that’s before the regional one-day wonders kick in.

Below is a complete state-by-state playbook for 2026, plus guidance on your rights when requesting annual leave and what to do if your boss tries to rain on your holiday plans.

Note: These suggestions assume a standard Monday–Friday work week. Always double-check your state or territory’s official holiday calendar before booking.

Public Holidays by State & Territory in 2026

January

Book 27–30 January for 9 days off between 24 January and 1 February (all states/territories).

Public holidays:

• 1 January – New Year’s Day
• 26 January – Australia Day

February

Book 10–13 February for 9 days off between 7 and 15 February (TAS only).

Public holidays:

• 9 February – Royal Hobart Regatta (parts of Tas)

March

Book 3–6 March for 9 days off between 28 February and 8 March (WA only).

Book 10–13 March for 9 days off between 8 and 15 March (ACT, SA, TAS, and VIC only).

Public holidays:

• 2 Mar – Labour Day (WA)
• 9 March – Canberra Day (ACT), Adelaide Cup (SA), Eight Hours Day (Tas), Labour Day (Vic)

April

Book 30 March–2 April and 7–10 April (8 days) for 16 days off between 28 March and 12 April (all states/territories).

Book 28 April–1 May for 9 days off between 25 April and 3 May (WA only).

Public holidays:

• 3 April – Good Friday
• 4 April – Easter Saturday
• 5 April – Easter Sunday
• 6 April – Easter Monday
• 25 April – ANZAC Day
• 27 April – ANZAC Day (WA observed)

May

Book 5–8 May for 9 days off between 2 and 10 May (NT and QLD only).

Public holidays:

• 4 May – May Day (NT, QLD)

June

Book 2–5 June for 9 days off between 30 May and 7 June (ACT and WA only).

Book 9–12 June for 9 days off between 6 and 14 June (ACT, NSW, NT, SA, TAS, and VIC only).

Public holidays:

• 1 June – Reconciliation Day (ACT), WA Day (WA)
• 8 June – King’s Birthday (all except WA & QLD)

July

No public holidays. A barren wasteland compared to the other months of the year.

August

Book 4–7 August for 9 days off between 1 and 9 August (NT only).

Book 10–11 and 13–14 August for 9 days off between 8 and 16 August (Brisbane Metro only).

Public holidays:

• 3 August – Picnic Day (NT)
• 12 August – Ekka Day (Brisbane only)

September

Book 29 September–2 October for 9 days off between 26 September and 4 October (WA only)

Public holiday:

• 28 September – King’s Birthday (WA)

October

Book 6–9 October for 9 days off between 3 and 11 October (ACT, NSW, SA, and QLD)

Book 23–26 October for 9 days off between 20 and 28 October (TAS only)

Public holidays:

• 5 October – Labour Day (ACT, NSW, SA), King’s Birthday (QLD)
• 22 October – Royal Hobart Show (parts of Tas)

November

Book 3–6 November for 9 days off between 31 October and 8 November (TAS only).

Book 2 November and 4–6 November for 9 days off between 31 October and 8 November (VIC only).

Public holidays:

• 2 November – Recreation Day (parts of Tas)
• 3 November – Melbourne Cup (Vic)

December

Book 21–24 December and 28–31 December (8 days) for 16 days off between 19 December and 3 January (all states/territories).

Public holidays:

• 24 December – Christmas Eve (QLD 6pm–midnight; NT & SA 7pm–midnight)
• 25 December – Christmas Day
• 26 December – Boxing Day
• 28 December – Boxing Day (in lieu)
• 31 December – New Year’s Eve (NT, SA evening)
• 1 January 2027 – New Year’s Day

Your Rights When Requesting Annual Leave

Australian workers covered by the Fair Work Act have one clear entitlement: you can request annual leave, and your employer can only refuse it on “reasonable business grounds.” Here’s what that looks like in the real world:

You accrue annual leave as a legal entitlement, and full-time workers receive four weeks of annual leave per year (five for some shift workers), while part-time employees accrue leave on a pro rata basis. Most casual employees don’t receive paid annual leave but may receive a higher hourly loading instead.

Your employer can’t delete your leave, freeze it or punish you for asking to use it. Remember that next time you get that pit in your stomach before bringing up a holiday.

Note: Some workplaces can direct employees to take leave during shutdown periods, but rules vary by award or agreement.

Employers must consider your request fairly, but a refusal must be based on factors like whether it’s a :peak business period”, there’s not enough staff to cover your role, the request is being made on very short notice, as well as the cost or impact on operations. “Because we don’t feel like it” or “because I’m your boss” are not lawful reasons.

You can ask for leave up to a year in advance, and forward-dated requests for annual leave are less likely to be knocked back because managers can plan around them. The earlier you lodge your dates, the stronger your position.

It’s worth noting, though, that this section provides general information only. Your award, enterprise agreement or contract may set out additional rules, so make sure to double check that before making any requests for the best chance of success.

The Payoff

With a bit of prep and a lot of public-holiday magic, 2026 is shaping up as a banner year for days off. Map your leave early, and if you play it right you can more than double your time off, turning 20 days of leave into 50-plus days away from work.