The 2027 plan at a glance
This plan uses all 20 days of leave across five breaks and gives you 49 days off in total. Weekends and public holidays fill the gaps, so on average each day of leave buys almost 2.5 days away from work.
| Break | Take leave | Leave days | Time off |
|---|---|---|---|
| Easter | Tue 30 Mar – Fri 2 Apr | 4 | Fri 26 Mar – Sun 4 Apr (10 days) |
| Anzac Day | Tue 27 Apr – Fri 30 Apr | 4 | Sat 24 Apr – Sun 2 May (9 days) |
| Matariki | Mon 28 Jun – Fri 2 Jul | 5 | Fri 25 Jun – Sun 4 Jul (10 days) |
| Labour Day | Tue 26 Oct – Fri 29 Oct | 4 | Sat 23 Oct – Sun 31 Oct (9 days) |
| Christmas & New Year | Wed 29 Dec – Fri 31 Dec | 3 | Sat 25 Dec 2027 – Tue 4 Jan 2028 (11 days) |
Why Christmas 2027 is the best value break
Christmas Day (Saturday) and Boxing Day (Sunday) both fall on the weekend in 2027, so for most workers they move to Monday 27 and Tuesday 28 December. New Year’s Day 2028 is also a Saturday and 2 January a Sunday, so those holidays move to Monday 3 and Tuesday 4 January 2028.
That leaves only three working days between the two holiday blocks. Taking Wednesday 29 to Friday 31 December gives you 11 days off in a row for 3 days of leave. If you can take three more days (Wednesday 5 to Friday 7 January 2028), you are off from Saturday 25 December to Sunday 9 January: 16 days for 6 days of leave. Those three January days come out of your 2028 leave.
Easter is early and outside the school holidays
Good Friday is 26 March and Easter Monday 29 March 2027. This is during Term 1, not the April school holidays (Saturday 10 April to Monday 26 April). If you don’t have school-age children, that’s helpful: flights and holiday homes are often cheaper than during school holidays.
You can take your four days of leave either side of Easter: the week after (Tuesday 30 March to Friday 2 April) or the week before (Monday 22 to Thursday 25 March). Either way, you get 10 days off.
Southland: Southland Anniversary Day is Easter Tuesday (30 March), so you only need 3 days of leave (31 March to 2 April) for the same 10-day break.
Matariki and King’s Birthday: two winter options
King’s Birthday (Monday 7 June) and Matariki (Friday 25 June) are less than three weeks apart. The gap is too wide to bridge cheaply, so treat them as two separate opportunities:
- King’s Birthday: leave Tuesday 8 to Friday 11 June (4 days) for 9 days off, Saturday 5 to Sunday 13 June.
- Matariki before: leave Monday 21 to Thursday 24 June (4 days) for 9 days off, Saturday 19 to Sunday 27 June.
- Matariki after: leave Monday 28 June to Friday 2 July (5 days) for 10 days off. This is the option in the plan above. It ends the day before the July school holidays begin (Saturday 3 July), so you avoid the busiest week for travel.
Regional extras worth knowing
Your regional anniversary day can change your best plan:
- Auckland, Northland, Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Gisborne: Auckland Anniversary (Monday 1 February) and Waitangi Day (Monday 8 February) are one week apart. Take Tuesday 2 to Friday 5 February (4 days) for 10 days off, from Saturday 30 January to Monday 8 February.
- Nelson: Nelson Anniversary is also Monday 1 February, so the same 4-day bridge works.
- Wellington: Wellington Anniversary is Monday 25 January. Take Tuesday 26 to Friday 29 January (4 days) for 9 days off.
- Hawke’s Bay: Anniversary Day is Friday 22 October, right before Labour Day. Taking Tuesday 26 to Friday 29 October gives you 10 days off for 4 days of leave.
- Marlborough: Anniversary Day is Monday 1 November, the Monday after Labour Day. The same 4 days of leave (26–29 October) gives you 10 days off, from Saturday 23 October to Monday 1 November.
Planning around the 2027 school holidays
If you have school-age children, you may want to match your leave to the school holidays rather than the cheapest bridges. The 2027 school holidays are:
- April: Saturday 10 April – Monday 26 April. Anzac Day (observed Monday 26 April) is the last day, so 10 days of leave (12–23 April) covers the full 17 days.
- July: Saturday 3 July – Sunday 18 July.
- September–October: Saturday 25 September – Sunday 10 October.
- Summer: from Saturday 18 December 2027.
See the 2027 school holiday dates for term start and end dates.
Before you book
- Annual leave is taken by agreement with your employer. Under the Holidays Act 2003 your employer can’t unreasonably refuse a request, but they can decline it for good business reasons. Ask early, especially for Christmas and school holidays.
- If you work weekends or shifts, the dates above may not apply to you. See what happens when a public holiday falls on a weekend.
- Use the Annual Leave Maximiser to build a plan around your own leave balance, region and blackout dates.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many public holidays are there in New Zealand in 2027?
There are 11 national public holidays plus one regional anniversary day, so most workers get 12. In 2027 every national holiday falls on a Monday or Friday once the weekend holidays are moved to weekdays.
What is the single best leave bridge in 2027?
Christmas 2027. Taking leave from Wednesday 29 to Friday 31 December gives 11 days off in a row (25 December to 4 January 2028) for just 3 days of annual leave.
Can my employer make me take annual leave over Christmas?
Yes, if your workplace has a closedown. An employer can require leave during a customary closedown if they give at least 14 days’ notice. Check your employment agreement.
Official information sources
General information only, not legal or employment advice. Always confirm with your employer.