2027 lines up better than most years. Easter arrives early, 26 to 29 March. January’s long weekend falls on a Tuesday, so one day of leave makes a four-day break. And with Christmas Day on a Saturday, most states get four public holidays in a row from 25 to 28 December.
Below is one trip for each long weekend, chosen for what’s at its best at that time of year. Public holidays differ by state, so we’ve noted who gets what.
| LONG WEEKEND | 2027 DATES | WHO GETS IT | SEASON | OUR PICK |
| New Year | Fri 1 – Sun 3 Jan | All states | Peak Summer | Phillip Island, VIC |
| January Long Weekend | Sat 23 to Tue 26 Jan (take Mon 25 off) | All states | Late Summer | Margaret River, WA |
| Labour Day, Canberra Day, Eight Hours Day, Adelaide Cup | Sat 6 to Mon 8 Mar | VIC, ACT, TAS, SA | Early Autumn | Clare Valley, SA |
| Easter | Fri 26 to Mon 29 Mar | All states | Early Autumn | Tasmania’s East Coast |
| Anzac Day | Sat 24 to Mon 26 Apr | Monday off in NSW, WA, ACT, QLD, NT | Mid Autumn | Orange and the Central West, NSW |
| Labour Day and May Day | Sat 1 to Mon 3 May | QLD, NT | Start of the dry season | Cape Tribulation or Kakadu |
| WA Day | Sat 5 to Mon 7 Jun | WA | Winter | Albany and the Great Southern, WA |
| King’s Birthday | Sat 12 to Mon 14 Jun | NSW, VIC, SA, TAS, ACT, NT | Winter | Alice Springs and the West MacDonnell Ranges, NT |
| King’s Birthday (WA) | Sat 25 to Mon 27 Sep | WA | Spring | Wave Rock and the Wheatbelt, WA |
| Labour Day and King’s Birthday (QLD) | Sat 2 to Mon 4 Oct | NSW, SA, ACT, QLD | Spring | Jervis Bay, Fleurieu Peninsula or the Granite Belt |
| Melbourne Cup | Sat 30 Oct to Tue 2 Nov (take Mon 1 off) | VIC | Late spring | Grampians, VIC |
| Christmas | Sat 25 to Tue 28 Dec | All states | Summer | Wilsons Promontory, VIC |
Drive times are approximate and start from the nearest capital city. Seasonal windows shift from year to year, so check local conditions before you go.
Stretch Your Leave
A few well-placed leave days turn a long weekend into a proper holiday:
- January Long Weekend: take Monday 25 January and you have four days, 23 to 26 January.
- Easter: four days of leave, 30 March to 2 April, makes it 10 days, 26 March to 4 April.
- King’s Birthday: in states that celebrate on 14 June, four days of leave, 15 to 18 June, makes it nine days.
- Melbourne Cup: take Monday 1 November and Victorians get four days.
- Christmas: three days of leave, 29 to 31 December, makes it nine days.
NEW YEAR | Fri 1 to Sun 3 January | Phillip Island, Victoria
From Melbourne: about 1.5 to 2 hours | Season: peak summer | Best car: compact or SUV
Summer’s first long weekend is made for the coast. Phillip Island is an easy drive from Melbourne and has enough to fill three days: surf and bay beaches, the boardwalks at the Nobbies and the nightly Penguin Parade at dusk. Book accommodation early for New Year, and check fire danger and conditions before you travel.
January’s Long Weekend | Sat 23 to Tue 26 January | Margaret River, Western Australia
From Perth: about 3 hours | Season: late summer | Best car: SUV
Four days is enough to make Margaret River more than a day trip. Long summer days suit the beaches, the limestone caves along Caves Road and the cellar doors tucked among the forest. It’s peak season, so book accommodation and tables early, and keep an eye on fire danger on hot days.
LABOUR DAY WEEKEND | Sat 6 to Mon 8 March | Clare Valley, South Australia
From Adelaide: about 1.5 to 2 hours | Season: early autumn | Best car: hybrid or premium sedan
South Australia has Adelaide Cup Day on Monday 8 March, and Victoria, Tasmania and the ACT get the day off too. The Clare Valley is Riesling country, and early autumn is harvest season for many wineries, when the cellar doors and small towns are at their liveliest. Walk or ride part of the Riesling Trail, a former railway line that links the wineries, and stop for lunch in Clare or Auburn.
EASTER | Fri 26 to Mon 29 March | Tasmania’s East Coast
From Hobart: about 2.5 hours to Freycinet | Season: early autumn | Best car: SUV
Easter is early this year, so the weather in Tasmania is typically still mild. Drive up the east coast from Hobart to Freycinet, then carry on to the Bay of Fires. With four days of leave you get 10 days away, enough for a full loop of the island. Easter is peak season, so book flights, ferries and your car early.
ANZAC DAY | Sat 24 to Mon 26 April | Orange and the Central West, New South Wales
From Sydney: about 3.5 hours | Season: mid autumn | Best car: SUV or premium sedan
Anzac Day falls on a Sunday. New South Wales, Western Australia, the ACT, Queensland and the Northern Territory get Monday 26 April off as well. Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania stay on Sunday only, so people in those states will need to take Monday as leave. In the Central West, autumn colour usually turns the parks and gardens around Orange gold and red, the cool-climate wineries and restaurants are in full swing, and Mount Canobolas has views over the valleys.
LABOUR DAY AND MAY DAY | Sat 1 to Mon 3 May | Cape Tribulation or Kakadu
From Cairns: about 2 hours to Cape Tribulation. From Darwin: about 3 hours to Kakadu | Season: start of the dry season | Best car: SUV or 4WD
Queensland has Labour Day and the Northern Territory has May Day on Monday 3 May. It’s the start of the dry season in the tropical north, when humidity drops and more tracks open. Queenslanders can drive from Cairns into the Daintree, where rainforest meets reef. Territorians can head into Kakadu, where waterfalls and wetlands should still be flowing.
WA DAY | Sat 5 to Mon 7 June | Albany and the Great Southern, Western Australia
From Perth: about 4.5 hours to Albany | Season: winter | Best car: SUV or hybrid
Southern right whales visit the sheltered bays along Western Australia’s south coast from around mid-year, and Albany is a good base for watching for them. Walk the granite coastline at Torndirrup National Park, explore the town’s waterfront and historic sites, and stop at the cellar doors of the Great Southern on the way. Whale arrivals vary, so check local sightings reports.
KING’S BIRTHDAY | Sat 12 to Mon 14 June | Alice Springs and the West MacDonnell Ranges, Northern Territory
From Alice Springs: about 45 minutes to 1.5 hours to the gorges | Season: winter | Best car: SUV or 4WD
June is the cool dry season in the Red Centre, with sunny days and cold nights, which makes it ideal for walking and long drives. The Northern Territory, New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania and the ACT all get the long weekend. Base yourself in Alice Springs and drive the West MacDonnell Ranges, where gorges and waterholes such as Standley Chasm and Ormiston Gorge are within a day’s drive. Four days of leave stretch it to nine.
Before you go: Distances are long and mobile coverage is patchy outside Alice Springs. Carry plenty of water, fill up with fuel in town and check road conditions before you set off.
WA KING’S BIRTHDAY | Sat 25 to Mon 27 September | Wave Rock and the Wheatbelt, Western Australia
From Perth: about 4 hours to Hyden | Season: spring | Best car: compact SUV
Western Australia’s King’s Birthday is in late September, when the Wheatbelt’s wildflowers are typically in bloom, usually from August to October. Drive inland to Wave Rock, the famous granite wave near Hyden, and detour through the farming towns along the way. Bloom times vary with the rain, so check with visitor centres.
Victoria’s Friday before the AFL Grand Final holiday hasn’t been announced for 2027, so Victorians may get a surprise long weekend around this time.
LABOUR DAY AND KING’S BIRTHDAY (QLD) | Sat 2 to Mon 4 October | Jervis Bay, Fleurieu Peninsula or the Granite Belt
Jervis Bay: about 3 hours from Sydney | Fleurieu Peninsula: about 1 hour from Adelaide | Granite Belt: about 3 hours from Brisbane | Season: spring | Best car: compact SUV
New South Wales, South Australia and the ACT have Labour Day, and Queensland has its King’s Birthday. New South Wales and ACT travellers can head for Jervis Bay, where spring brings migrating whales along the coast and quieter beaches than summer. South Australians can drive the Fleurieu Peninsula, from the McLaren Vale cellar doors to the coast at Victor Harbor. Queenslanders can head for the Granite Belt around Stanthorpe, a cool-climate wine and fruit region.
MELBOURNE CUP | Sat 30 October to Tue 2 November | Grampians, Victoria
From Melbourne: about 3 hours | Season: late spring | Best car: SUV
Melbourne Cup Day is Tuesday 2 November, so take Monday off for four days. Spring is the time for wildflowers and full waterfalls in the Grampians, and walking is comfortable before the summer heat. Some Tasmanian regions also have Recreation Day on Monday 1 November.
CHRISTMAS | Sat 25 to Tue 28 December | Wilsons Promontory, Victoria
From Melbourne: about 3 to 3.5 hours | Season: summer | Best car: SUV
Christmas Day is a Saturday, so most states get four public holidays in a row. Tasmania gets three: Saturday 25, Monday 27 and Tuesday 28 December. Wilsons Promontory, at the southern tip of mainland Australia, is a classic summer escape, with white-sand beaches, coastal walks and wildlife. Accommodation and campsites fill early at Christmas, so book well ahead, and check fire danger before you go. Three days of leave, 29 to 31 December, make it nine days.
How to Use This List
You don’t need to do all twelve. Pick a few that suit where you live, put the dates in your calendar now and book cars early for Easter and Christmas, the two busiest weekends of the year. Summer trips fall in fire and storm season, so check conditions before each drive.
Ready to plan your year? Find a SIXT location and pick the car that fits each drive.
