Best Time to Take Leave in 2026: Maximise Your Days Off
The best leave window left in 2026 is Christmas: three leave days, 29 to 31 December, buy ten days off. Plus October's long weekends and Melbourne Cup.
The best time to take leave in what's left of 2026 is the last week of December. Three days of leave, Tuesday 29 to Thursday 31 December, cover a ten-day break in every state. Before that there are a couple of cheap long weekends, and which one you get depends on where you work.
The October long weekend isn't national
Monday 5 October is a public holiday in New South Wales, South Australia and the ACT, where it's Labour Day, and in Queensland, where it's the King's Birthday. Western Australia takes its King's Birthday a week earlier, on Monday 28 September.
Victoria's free long weekend comes first. The Friday before the AFL Grand Final, 25 September, is a Victorian public holiday. Tasmania and the Northern Territory get nothing statewide in either week, so check the October long weekend guide before you plan around a colleague's dates.
Four leave days on either side of any of those Mondays stretch it to nine days off. That's a weaker ratio than December, so spend them here only if you want the overlap with the spring school holidays.
Melbourne Cup is the last mid-week holiday of the year
Melbourne Cup Day is Tuesday 3 November, a public holiday across Victoria. Book the Monday and one leave day becomes a four-day break. Regional Victoria often swaps the date for a local show or race day, which the Melbourne Cup guide lists.
Tasmania has two more worth knowing. The Royal Hobart Show falls on Thursday 22 October in the south, so the Friday after is the day to book. Recreation Day gives northern Tasmania Monday 2 November for nothing.
Christmas to New Year: three leave days, ten days off
Christmas Day is a Friday this year and Boxing Day lands on the Saturday, so all eight states and territories add a public holiday on Monday 28 December. New Year's Day is Friday 1 January 2027, again everywhere.
That leaves three working days in the middle. Book Tuesday 29, Wednesday 30 and Thursday 31 December and you are away from Friday 25 December through to Sunday 3 January, ten days in a row.
What's left of 2026, compared
| Window | Leave days | Days off | Dates to book | Where it applies |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| King's Birthday | 4 | 9 | Tue 29 Sep – Fri 2 Oct (leave); Mon 28 Sep holiday | WA |
| Labour Day / King's Birthday | 4 | 9 | Tue 6 – Fri 9 Oct (leave); Mon 5 Oct holiday | NSW, SA, ACT, QLD |
| Royal Hobart Show | 1 | 4 | Fri 23 Oct (leave); Thu 22 Oct holiday | Southern Tasmania |
| Melbourne Cup Day | 1 | 4 | Mon 2 Nov (leave); Tue 3 Nov holiday | VIC |
| Christmas – New Year | 3 | 10 | Tue 29 – Thu 31 Dec (leave); Fri 25, Mon 28 Dec and Fri 1 Jan holidays | All states |
Days off count every calendar day in the break, weekends included. Part-day holidays are left out: Queensland, South Australia and the Northern Territory treat Christmas Eve as a public holiday only from the evening.
How to book what's left
- Confirm what your own state gets on the public holidays page rather than planning around an interstate colleague's dates.
- Test the Christmas window in the Leave Planner. Enter 25 December and 3 January and it counts the leave days for you.
- Ask whether your workplace shuts down. Many close between Christmas and New Year and direct staff to take leave anyway, which the shutdown guide explains.
- Move on to next year once December is booked. Australia Day 2027 is a Tuesday, so 2027 opens with a cheap four-day weekend.
Frequently asked questions
When is the best time to take annual leave in 2026?
The last week of December, and it is the only window left with a strong ratio. Three leave days from 29 to 31 December cover ten days off in every state, because 28 December and 1 January are both public holidays.
Is Monday 5 October 2026 a public holiday in Victoria?
No. Victoria's spring public holiday is the Friday before the AFL Grand Final, 25 September. The 5 October Monday is Labour Day in NSW, South Australia and the ACT, and the King's Birthday in Queensland.
Do I get Melbourne Cup Day off outside Victoria?
No. Tuesday 3 November is a Victorian public holiday only. Parts of regional Victoria swap it for a local show or race day earlier in spring, so check your council before you book the Monday.
Should I save my leave for 2027 instead?
Only if the Christmas week is already taken at work. 2027 starts well: Australia Day is Tuesday 26 January, so one leave day on the Monday buys a four-day weekend in every state.
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