hero media

How to maximise your annual leave in 2026

Rachael ThompsonBy Rachael Thompson
Because we all deserve some well-earned time off.

There’s always that one colleague who was organised enough to book their leave to align with the state’s holidays, leaving the rest of the office envious of their lovely two-week break with minimal leave used.

Leave maximisation is where you strategically use your annual leave days around weekends and public holidays to stretch out your break, and we’re already looking ahead to how to make the most of our time off next year.

A car crossing a bridge in a rainforest
Savvy travellers use annual leave days around weekends and public holidays to stretch out their break. (Image: Tourism Australia)

Corporate Traveller has analysed how, with the right planning, Aussies can turn their annual leave into extended breaks in 2026. What their analysis shows is that Western Australians can get the most time off with minimal leave used, stretching 31 days of annual leave into an impressive 71 days off in total. 

Tom Walley, global managing director of Corporate Traveller, says thoughtful timing will pay dividends next year: “Public holidays in 2026 are well spaced for extended getaways. By locking in leave requests now, employees can secure the best fares and accommodation, and employers can plan resourcing well in advance. Everybody wins."

Let’s take a look…

Victoria

Two people in a hot springs in the Mornington Peninsula
Spend your leave relaxing in hot springs in the Mornington Peninsula. (Image: Tourism Australia)

Victorians can strategically lock in up to 60 days off by using 20 days of annual leave alongside 13 public holidays and weekends. Over the Christmas/New Year period, you could get 16 days off in a row by using seven days of leave, or 16 days off in a row at Easter by taking eight days of leave.

Queensland

Queenslanders can be savvy and lock in up to 58 days off by using 25 days of leave alongside 12 public holidays and weekends. You can use seven days of annual leave to get 16 days off in a row during the Christmas/New Year period, use four days of annual leave to get 10 consecutive days off over Easter, or use four days of annual leave to get 10 days off in a row around Ekka Day in August.

Western Australia

A boat at Rottnest Island
Spend relaxing days on Rottnest Island. (Image: Tourism Australia)

Western Australians can lock in an incredible 71 days off by using 31 days of leave alongside 11 state-wide public holidays and weekends. By using seven days of annual leave around the Christmas/New Year period, you can get 16 consecutive days off, or by using four days of annual leave around Easter, you can get 10 days off in a row. 

South Australia

South Australians can get 62 days off with 27 annual leave days, thanks to 13 public holidays. For extended breaks, you can use four days of annual leave for 10 days off in a row over Easter, and seven days of annual leave for 16 consecutive days off. 

Tasmania

Tasmanians can get 50 days off by using 19 days of annual leave, thanks to 11 official state-wide public holidays, plus either Royal Hobart Regatta Day in the south or Recreation Day in the rest of the state, along with an extra day off for public servants (7 April). You can get up to 16 days off by using seven annual leave days over the Christmas/New Year period or up to 11 days off by using four days of leave (or five with Easter Tuesday) over the Easter period.

New South Wales

People entering the water at a beach at Byron Bay
Byron Bay is one of the most popular NSW towns to spend summer at. (Tourism Australia)

NSW has 11 state-wide public holidays. Employees can take up to 53 consecutive days off if they use 23 leave days around the Christmas/New Year and January holiday period, when multiple weekends and public holidays coincide. You could also give yourself a 10-day break by using just four days of your annual leave around the Easter break, from Saturday 28 March to Monday 6 April.

Australian Capital Territory

People in the ACT can get 55 days off if they take 23 days of annual leave, thanks to 13 public holidays, which include two extra long weekends – Canberra Day (Monday 9 March) and Reconciliation Day (Monday 1 June). To maximise leave, use seven days of annual leave for 16 days off over Christmas/New Year and four days of leave for 10 days off over Easter. 

Northern Territory

Two people walking around the Bungle Bungle Range is located in the Purnululu National Park.
Western Australians can get the most time off with minimal leave used. (Image: Tourism Australia)

The Top End crowd can get 50 days off if they take 19 days of annual leave, thanks to 11 official public holidays in 2026. You can get 16 consecutive days off over Christmas/New Year by using seven days of annual leave or 10 days off over Easter by using four days of annual leave. 

Rachael Thompson
Rachael Thompson is Australian Traveller's Evergreen Editor and a self-proclaimed cheese and Chablis connoisseur. In her role, she creates and manages online content that remains relevant and valuable over time. With a background in publishing and e-commerce in both interior design and travel, Rachael is dedicated to curating engaging content that informs and inspires. She began her career at Belle magazine, then went on to become Senior Content Producer at Homes to Love focusing on Australian House & Garden and Belle, followed by Editor at Bed Threads. Her work has also appeared in Qantas Travel Insider. When she's not writing, editing, or optimising content, Rachael enjoys exploring the city's newest restaurants, bars, and hotels. Next on her Aussie travel wish list are Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park and Lord Howe Island.
See all articles
Full moon over Surfers Paradise
Australia

A Snow Moon is rising over Australia this weekend – here’s where to spot it

On Sunday 1 February, a Snow Moon will shine above Australia. We've rounded up the best spots to see this extra-bright full moon in every state.

Read more
The ultimate guide to summer festivals around Australia
Australia

The ultimate guide to summer festivals around Australia

These are the summer festivals you’ll be talking about long after the season ends.

Read more
Greenly Beach, Eyre Peninsula, South Australia
Australia

Australia’s most remote and unknown beaches have just been revealed

The wild, little-known shores most travellers never reach.

Read more
Riverboats Music Festival in Echuca-Moama, Vic
Australia

What’s on around Australia in February 2026

February is full of fun – if you know where to look.

Read more
hero media

8 incredible hikes just outside of Melbourne

    Australian TravellerBy Australian Traveller
    Continue
    Just over an hour from Melbourne, spectacular walking and hiking trails encompass ancient landscapes, forested ridgelines and volcanic peaks.

    Just a short drive from the city, the urban sprawl gives way to rolling hills, mineral springs, and lush forests that will have you feeling like you’re in the bucolic countryside of France. Encompassing Daylesford , the Macedon Ranges, Castlemaine and the Central Goldfields, this pocket of Victoria is a region where nature, art, and wellness intertwine. Heritage towns hum with creativity, good food and wine, and welcoming locals. While Daylesford hikes, and those nearby, offer the chance to take a pause and reconnect with nature.

    1. Hanging Rock Summit Walk

    Hanging Rock Summit Walk
    Take in views across the Macedon Ranges.

    Etched into folklore, few places in Australia carry as much mystique as Hanging Rock. Rising dramatically from the plains near Woodend, this volcanic mamelon offers a beautiful nature walk. The walk begins at a gentle pace, weaving through shaded woodland before it gets a little steeper as the path starts to climb and twist to the summit. From here, you’ll have views that stretch across the Macedon Ranges. The walk is roughly 1.8 kilometres return, but the real reward lies in standing among the weathered boulders, feeling the age and energy of the earth beneath your feet.

    2. Macedon Ranges Walking Trail

    Macedon Ranges Walking Trail camel's hump lookout
    Walk to Camel’s Hump. (Image: Clair Derwort)

    The Macedon Ranges Walking Trail traverses around 19 kilometres of forest and mountain landscapes. The full trail is a six-hour circuit, with most of the walk being a grade three; however, you don’t have to tackle it all at once. There are shorter walks that will take you through the tall mountain ash forests, to tranquil picnic areas, and sweeping views from Camels Hump and the Memorial Cross. The best times of year to head out are autumn, when the mountain turns into a tapestry of crimson and gold, and spring, when wildflowers brighten the trail.

    3. Mount Alexander Traverse

    Mount Alexander Traverse
    Take in the serenity.

    Towering above the goldfields near Castlemaine, Mount Alexander is a granite giant that offers some great bushwalking trails. The Mount Alexander Traverse winds along the mountain’s rocky spine through dry eucalypt forest that opens up in sections to reveal beautiful panoramas across Loddon Valley and all the way to the distant Grampians. Once a site of ancient volcanic activity (and later a gathering place for the Dja Dja Wurrung people), the mountain’s granite tors are now quiet and create a beautiful, serene atmosphere for a moment of reflection while walking.

    4. Murmuring Walk

    Murmuring Walk daylesford hikes
    Circle the picturesque Sanatorium Lake.

    Located an easy drive from Daylesford, Murmuring Walk offers something a little different. Circling Sanatorium Lake, this free audio-guided walk aims to immerse you in the rhythms of Dja Dja Wurrung, Taungurung and Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Country by blending the sounds of nature with a multi-layered soundtrack. There are two routes to explore while you listen: a shorter loop around the lake itself and a longer circuit that extends deeper into the woodland.

    5. La Gerche Forest Walk

    La Gerche Forest Walk
    Walk into history on the La Gerche Forest trail.

    Located in Creswick, the La Gerche Forest Walk honours the legacy of John La Gerche, a 19th-century forester who championed the regeneration of the then gold-rush-ravaged land. Today, over 100 years later, his replanting efforts have grown into a living cathedral of towering pines, oaks, and native gums. As you meander along the 2.2-kilometre circuit, you’ll find interpretive panels along the way that help tell the story of La Gerche’s vision, so you can learn as you wander.

    6. Sailors Falls Loop

    Sailors Falls Loop
    See these spectacular falls. (Image: Visit Victoria)

    Just outside Daylesford, Sailors Falls tumbles through a fern-lined gorge, fed by mineral springs. Thought to be named after the sailors who jumped ship to seek gold in the area during the 1850s gold rush, the loop walk begins at the car park and descends through a cool, shaded gully to the base of the falls. From here, you’ll make the climb back via the mineral springs. It’s a short but enchanting walk – about 1.5 kilometres in total, so make a day of it by packing a picnic to sit by the springs; you’ll feel worlds away from the city.

    7. Paddys Ranges Loop Walk

    Further north, the Paddys Ranges State Park loop reveals a different side of Victoria’s Heartland – dry forest, golden light and hints of a gold-rush past. This protected reserve is a stronghold of box-ironbark woodland, providing vital refuge for endangered species. In spring, the forest floor is awash with the colour of over 230 species of wildflowers, so a springtime walk is a must-do. As you walk the 4.5-kilometre loop trail, keep an eye out for remnants of old mine shafts and rusted relics from the prospectors who once sought their fortunes here.

    8. Mount Franklin Summit Walk

    Mount Franklin Summit Walk
    Take in forests and waterfalls along the way to the top of Mount Franklin.

    An extinct volcano turned picnic ground, Mount Franklin (known as Lalgambook to the Dja Dja Wurrung people) is one of the region’s quiet marvels. The summit walk follows a narrow, winding path through native forest to the crater’s rim, where you’ll get glimpses of farmland and forest below. It’s a moderate climb – just over an hour return, so it can easily be done if you’re camping in the surrounding reserve for a weekend nature retreat.

    The trails of Victoria’s Heartland offer a chance to reconnect with the landscape, local history and yourself. Start planning your next adventure at daylesfordmacedonlife.com.au.