Custody Holiday Schedule in Australia: How to Split Holidays

School holidays are where most parenting plans either prove their worth or fall apart. The term-time schedule might run smoothly, but then holidays arrive and both parents want the same weeks — or worse, the plan says nothing about holidays at all.

A well-drafted holiday schedule prevents annual arguments by setting out exactly who has the child during each break, how changeovers work, and what happens in the years the standard rotation conflicts with family events.

Common Holiday Rotation Models

Alternating Half Splits

The most widely used approach. Each holiday period is split in half: one parent gets the first half in odd years and the second half in even years. The following year, they swap.

For example:

• 2026 (even year): Parent A has the first half of the July holidays; Parent B has the second half
• 2027 (odd year): Parent B has the first half; Parent A has the second half

This works for all four school holiday periods (Easter/Term 1, mid-year, September/Term 3, Christmas/summer).

Fixed Holiday Allocation

Some families prefer to assign specific holidays to each parent every year rather than rotating. This works when one parent's work schedule consistently aligns with particular holiday periods — for example, a teacher who's always free during school breaks.

Week-On/Week-Off During Long Breaks

For longer holiday periods (the 6-week summer break and the 2-3 week mid-year break), some plans maintain the regular alternating-week schedule rather than splitting the holiday into halves. This provides continuity for the child but means neither parent gets an extended uninterrupted block.

Christmas and New Year

Christmas is the holiday most likely to cause conflict. Common approaches:

Alternating years: Parent A has Christmas Day in even years; Parent B has it in odd years. The other parent gets the child for the days surrounding Christmas (Christmas Eve or Boxing Day through to New Year).

Split Christmas Day: The child spends the morning with one parent and transfers to the other parent in the afternoon. This only works if both parents live in the same city — shuttling a child across town on Christmas Day is manageable in Darwin but not between Darwin and Alice Springs.

Fixed Christmas: Some families decide that one parent always has Christmas Day (perhaps because extended family celebrations are on a fixed day), while the other always has New Year's Eve. The trade-off is built into the overall schedule balance.

Special Occasions Beyond School Holidays

A complete holiday schedule also covers:

Birthdays. The child's birthday, each parent's birthday. Common approaches: the child spends their birthday with whichever parent has them under the regular schedule, or alternates between parents each year.

Mother's Day and Father's Day. The child spends Mother's Day with their mother and Father's Day with their father, regardless of the regular schedule. This is one of the most universally accepted provisions.

Cultural and religious days. For families with cultural obligations — NAIDOC Week celebrations, Eid, Diwali, Chinese New Year, Easter services — the plan should specify which parent the child is with for each significant cultural event.

Public holidays and long weekends. Australia's public holidays create three-day weekends that fall outside school holiday periods. Specify whether long weekends follow the regular schedule or are treated separately (e.g., alternating long weekends regardless of whose "regular" week it is).

NT-Specific Considerations

Wet season logistics. In the Northern Territory, the wet season (November-April) can make road travel between Darwin and remote communities impossible. If your holiday schedule involves changeovers that require road travel through flood-prone areas, build in contingency provisions: extended time with one parent if roads are cut, with make-up time during the dry season.

Distance between Darwin and Alice Springs. A 15-hour drive or 2-hour flight. If parents are split between the two cities, holiday changeovers need to specify who handles travel, who pays for flights, and what happens if flights are cancelled.

Interstate travel consent. For holidays that involve travel outside the NT, both parents should consent in writing. Include a standard provision in your parenting plan: advance notice of travel (30-60 days), a requirement to provide the itinerary, and agreement on passport custody if overseas travel is contemplated.

What to Include in Your Holiday Schedule

At minimum:

• How each of the four school holiday periods is divided (halves, weeks, or fixed allocation)
• The exact changeover time and location for holiday transitions (not just "the holidays")
• Christmas Day and New Year's Eve arrangements for the next several years
• Mother's Day and Father's Day provisions
• Any culturally significant days specific to your family
• What happens when a holiday falls within the other parent's regular time
• Travel notification requirements and consent procedures
• A dispute resolution mechanism for years when the schedule conflicts with family events

The Northern Territory Child Custody & Parenting Plan Guide includes a complete holiday rotation planner with pre-drafted clauses for all major Australian school holidays, NT-specific wet season contingency provisions, and a multi-year rotation template you can customise.

See more Northern Territory guides →