Keen to make the most of your time off next year? 2026 is stacked in your favour with 12 public holidays and five long weekends. Thanks to how those holidays fall across NSW, a few well-timed annual leave bookings can stretch your standard leave entitlement into proper holidays, without burning through your time off too early in the year. If you’re a Sydney or NSW worker on a standard Monday-Friday schedule, these are the smartest windows to maximise your leave in 2026.
Australia Day Long Weekend (January)
This is the first strong leave window of 2026. By taking four days off after Australia Day, you can turn one public holiday into a nine-day break.
Take leave from: January 27 to 30
Time off: January 24 to February 1
Leave used: 4 days
Total days off: 9 days
Easter Long Break (April)
Easter is prime opportunity to plan a longer holiday. By taking eight days of annual leave across late March and early April, you could secure a full 16 days off in just one block.
Take leave from: March 30 to April 2 and April 7 to April 10
Time off: March 28 to April 12
Leave used: 8 days
Total days off: 16 days
King’s Birthday Long Weekend (June)
For a mid-year break, plan your leave around the King’s Birthday long weekend. Just four days of leave turns this into nine days off in a row.
Take leave: June 9 to June 12
Total time off: June 6 to June 14
Leave used: 4 days
Total days off: 9 days
Labour Day (October)
The labour Day weekend allows another chance to score nine days off with just four days of annual leave.
Take leave: October 6 to October 9
Total time off: October 3 to October 11
Leave used: 4 days
Total days off: 9 days
Christmas and New Year break (December-January)
The end of the year is the perfect opportunity for a longer break and a chance to reset before stepping into the new year. 7 days of annual leave here could get you a full two weeks off.
Take leave: December 21 to December 24 and December 29 to December 31 Total time off: December 19 to January 3
Leave used: 7 days
Total days off: 16 days
A little forward planning can go a long way, so lock these dates into your calendar early. Happy holidays!