Best Time to Take Leave in 2027: Maximise Days Off
Plan 2027 leave around Australia's Tuesday and Thursday public holidays, Easter and the Christmas stretch to turn a few days into ten.
The best time to take leave in 2027 is around the public holidays that sit one working day away from a weekend. Book that one day and a Tuesday or Thursday holiday becomes a four-day break. Do the same around Easter or the Christmas–New Year week and three or four leave days become ten days off.
The Tuesday and Thursday trick
Most 2027 public holidays land on a Monday or a Friday. Those give you a three-day weekend for free, but they're hard to stretch further without spending more leave.
The valuable ones fall mid-week. Take the single working day between the holiday and the weekend, and one day of leave buys a four-day break. In 2027 that works for:
- Australia Day, Tuesday 26 January. Book Monday 25 January. Every state.
- Melbourne Cup Day, Tuesday 2 November. Book Monday 1 November. Victoria only.
- Royal Hobart Show, Thursday 21 October. Book Friday 22 October. Southern Tasmania only.
The two big windows: Easter and Christmas
Easter: 10 days off for 4 leave days
Good Friday is 26 March and Easter Monday is 29 March, in every state. That's a four-day weekend before you spend anything. Take Monday 22 to Thursday 25 March as leave and you're away from Saturday 20 March to Monday 29 March.
Christmas to New Year: 10 days off for 3 leave days
Christmas Day and Boxing Day both fall on the weekend in 2027, so every state adds public holidays on Monday 27 and Tuesday 28 December. The weekend dates mostly stay public holidays as well, which matters if you're rostered on (see how substitute days work). Take Wednesday 29 to Friday 31 December as leave and you're off from Saturday 25 December.
How long the break runs depends on New Year's Day, which is also a Saturday. Most states have already confirmed Monday 3 January 2028 as the substitute, which makes it ten days off for three leave days. Where the Monday isn't a holiday, it's nine days for the same three leave days. Western Australia hasn't published its 2028 dates yet, so check before you book.
2027 leave windows compared
| Window | Leave days | Days off | Dates to book | Where it applies |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia Day | 1 | 4 | Mon 25 Jan (leave); Tue 26 Jan holiday | All states |
| Easter | 4 | 10 | Mon 22 – Thu 25 Mar (leave); Fri 26 – Mon 29 Mar holidays | All states |
| King's Birthday | 4 | 9 | Tue 15 – Fri 18 Jun (leave); Mon 14 Jun holiday | NSW, VIC, SA, TAS, NT, ACT |
| Ekka | 2 | 5 | Mon 9 – Tue 10 Aug (leave); Wed 11 Aug holiday | Brisbane only |
| Royal Hobart Show | 1 | 4 | Fri 22 Oct (leave); Thu 21 Oct holiday | Southern Tasmania |
| Melbourne Cup Day | 1 | 4 | Mon 1 Nov (leave); Tue 2 Nov holiday | VIC |
| Christmas – New Year | 3 | 10 | Wed 29 – Fri 31 Dec (leave); Mon 27 – Tue 28 Dec and Mon 3 Jan 2028 holidays | States with the 3 January substitute (9 days off elsewhere) |
Days off count every calendar day in the break, weekends included.
State holidays worth building a break around
Every state has a holiday or two the rest of the country doesn't get. Fewer people plan around them, so they're easier to get approved.
- VIC: Melbourne Cup Day, Tuesday 2 November. Book the Monday.
- QLD: the Ekka, Wednesday 11 August (Brisbane). Two leave days either side gives you five days off.
- WA: WA Day on Monday 7 June, and a King's Birthday on Monday 27 September that no other state shares.
- TAS: Royal Hobart Show, Thursday 21 October (Southern Tasmania). One of the few mid-week show days in 2027.
- NT: Picnic Day, Monday 2 August. A free long weekend, no leave needed.
- SA: Adelaide Cup on Monday 8 March and Labour Day on Monday 4 October, both ready-made long weekends.
Anzac Day 2027: check your state
Anzac Day is Sunday 25 April in 2027. NSW, the ACT, Queensland, the Northern Territory and Western Australia have a public holiday on Monday 26 April, so those five get a free three-day weekend.
How to plan your 2027 leave
- Start with the 2027 long weekends guide or the long weekends calendar for your state.
- Test a window in the Leave Planner. Enter a start and end date and it tells you how many leave days the break costs.
- Put Easter and Christmas requests in early. They're the first to fill.
- In VIC, SA or TAS, decide now whether the Anzac Day Monday is worth a leave day.
Frequently asked questions
When is the best time to take annual leave in 2027?
The last week of December. Three leave days (29 to 31 December) give you ten days off wherever Monday 3 January 2028 is a public holiday. Easter (26 to 29 March) is the next best, at four leave days for ten days off.
Which 2027 public holidays turn one leave day into a four-day weekend?
Australia Day on Tuesday 26 January, everywhere. Melbourne Cup Day on Tuesday 2 November in Victoria, and the Royal Hobart Show on Thursday 21 October in Southern Tasmania. Book the Monday before a Tuesday holiday, or the Friday after a Thursday one.
Do all states get a day off for Anzac Day in 2027?
No. Anzac Day is a Sunday. NSW, the ACT, Queensland, the NT and WA have Monday 26 April as a public holiday; Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania don't.
Is Christmas or Easter the better leave window in 2027?
Christmas, on ratio: three leave days for ten days off, against four for Easter. Easter is the safer bet if your state hasn't confirmed the 3 January 2028 substitute, or if the Christmas week is already booked out at work.
Related tools
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Printable calendar
Print a full year or a single month with public holidays and school terms, or save it as a PDF.
Working days calculator
Count business days between dates, excluding your state's public holidays.
Leave planner
Find the best dates to book annual leave around public holidays.
Date calculator
Count the days between dates, or add and subtract days, weeks and months.
