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Reality check: we’re already three-quarters of the way through the year, which means it’s time to start plotting your 2027 holidays. If maximising time OOO is top of your priority list, we’ve got good news: with a little planning, you can turn 23 days of annual leave into 56 days off. Hectic!
Bookmark this public holiday cheat sheet, pick your next long weekend destination, and lock in that annual leave before your coworkers do (#sorrynotsorry).
January
Take four days of annual leave and score nine days off between January 23 and 31:
- January 23-24: Weekend
- January 25: Annual leave
- January 26: Public holiday (Australia Day/Invasion Day)
- January 27-29: Annual leave
- January 30-31: Weekend
March/April: Easter
Take four days of annual leave and score ten days off from March 26 to April 4:
- March 26: Public holiday (Good Friday)
- March 27-28: Weekend
- March 29: Public holiday (Easter Monday)
- March 30-April 2: Annual leave
- April 3-4: Weekend
April/May: ANZAC Day
Take four days of annual leave and score nine days off between April 23 and 26 (all states except SA, TAS and VIC):
- April 24-25: Weekend
- April 26: Public holiday (ANZAC Day observance)
- April 27-30: Annual leave
- May 1-2: Weekend
June: King’s Birthday
Take four days of annual leave and score nine days off between June 12 and 20 (all states except QLD and WA):
- June 12-13: Weekend
- June 14: Public holiday (King’s Birthday)
- June 15-18: Annual leave
- June 19-20: Weekend
In Western Australia, the King’s Birthday falls on September 27 – so take four days of annual leave from September 28 to October 1 to enjoy nine days off between September 25 and October 3. Queenslanders can see how to maximise leave around their King’s Birthday public holiday on October 4 below.
October: Labour Day
Take four days of annual leave and score nine days off between October 2 and 10 (only ACT, NSW and SA, plus QLD for the King’s Birthday):
- October 2-3: Weekend
- October 4: Public holiday (Labour Day/King’s Birthday)
- October 5-8: Annual leave
- October 9-10: Weekend
In Western Australia, Labour Day falls on March 1 – so take four days of annual leave from March 2 to 5 to enjoy nine days off between February 27 and March 7. Meanwhile, Victoria’s Labour Day public holiday is on March 8, meaning the same trick works from March 6 to 14.
December/January: Christmas + New Year's Day
Take three days of annual leave and score ten days off between December 25 and January 2:
- December 25-26: Weekend
- December 27: Public holiday (Christmas Day observance)
- December 28: Public holiday (Boxing Day observance)
- December 29-31: Annual leave
- January 1-2: Weekend
- January 3: Public holiday (New Year’s Day observance)
You can find out which bonus public holidays your state or territory gets here – we’ll let you do the long weekend maths on those extra ones.