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Subscribe How to Turn 21 Annual Leave Days Into 62 Days Off in 2026 (Victoria Edition)
Want more holidays? Here’s how Victorians can stretch leave into longer breaks in 2026.
Adulthood is all fun and games… until you realise four weeks of annual leave doesn’t even cover all the weddings, road trips, long lunches and little resets you want to squeeze into a year.
But here’s the secret: if you use Victoria’s 2026 public holidays strategically, you can stretch those precious days far further — turning long weekends into full-blown escapes, and full-blown escapes into the kind of breaks that actually reset your brain.
Here’s how to unlock up to 62 days off using 21 annual leave days. Ready? Let’s play.
Australia Day — Monday, 26th January, 2026
Australia Day falls on a Monday in 2026, automatically giving you a long weekend.
The Hack:
Take Friday 23rd January off → enjoy a 4-day break (23rd to 26th January).
Or go big:
Take 20th to 23rd January off → get 9 days off for 4 annual leave days (17th to 26th January).
The Trade:
4 annual leave days → 9 days off
1 annual leave day → 4 days off
Labour Day — Monday, 9th March 2026
March’s most underrated getaway opportunity.
The Hack:
Take Friday 6th March off → 4 days off (6th to 9th March)
Or stretch it:
Take 10th to 13th March off → 9 days off (7th to 15th March)
The Trade:
- 1 annual leave day → 4 days off
- 4 annual leave days → 9 days off
Easter — 3rd to 6th April
Easter in 2026 falls from Friday 3rd April to Monday 6th April, giving you a ready-made long weekend. And with a little planning, you can turn it into a full autumn escape.
Easter Hack: Take Tuesday 7th to Friday 10th April off → enjoy 9 days away for just 4 annual leave days (3rd to 12th April).
The Trade: 4 annual leave days → 9 days off
King’s Birthday – Monday 8th June, 2026
Smooth and simple: another Monday public holiday.
The Hack:
Take Friday 5th June off → 4 days away (5th to 8th June).
Or stretch it: Take 9th to 12th June off → 9 days off for 4 annual leave days (6th to 14th June).
The Trade:
- 1 annual leave day → 4 days off
- 4 annual leave days → 9 days off
AFL Grand Final Friday — Late September 2026 (Date TBC)
Victoria’s most beloved holiday.
The Hack:
Take Thursday before + Monday after → 5 days off for 2 leave days
Expected dates (based on typical scheduling):
Thursday 24th September to Monday 28th September (TBC)
The Trade:
2 annual leave days → 5 days off
Melbourne Cup Day — Tuesday, 3rd November 2026
Melbourne Cup Day falls on a Tuesday in 2026, giving you plenty of room to stretch your break.
The Hack:
Take Monday 2nd November off → enjoy a four-day long weekend (1st–4th November).
Or go all in:
Take Monday 2nd November + Wednesday 4th to Friday 6th November → score nine days off for four annual leave days (1st–9th November).
The Trade:
- 1 annual leave day → 4 days off
- 4 annual leave days → 9 days off
Christmas & New Year — December 2026 to January 2027
With Christmas Day landing on a Friday and Boxing Day observed on Monday 28th December, this is your biggest leave win of the year.
The Hack:
Take 22nd to 24th December, plus 29th to 31st December and Friday 2nd January → use 7 annual leave days.
That delivers a generous 16-day break, running from Sunday 20th December to Sunday 4th January.
The Trade:
7 annual leave days → 16 days off
Enjoyed learning how to hack Victoria’s public holidays? Keep an eye on our monthly and weekend guides for the best escapes, events and reasons to step away from the everyday.
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