Head to a Telstra payphone, dial #HO HO HO (#46 46 46), and get put through to the North Pole. It’s one of the most popular free Christmas activities for kids in Australia, and payphones across Newcastle, Lake Macquarie and the Hunter take part.
Last updated: 11 August — Telstra hasn’t confirmed the Free Calls to Santa program for Christmas 2026 yet, but if it returns like it has every year since 2021, here’s what to expect based on last year’s program.
In 2025, Telstra connected all 14,000+ payphones around Australia to Santa’s workshop, running the hotline from early in the season through to Christmas Eve. Since it began in 2021, the initiative has racked up over 1.5 million calls, making it a genuine Aussie Christmas tradition.
If it runs again in 2026, kids and parents will be able to walk up to any Telstra payphone, pick up the handset, and dial #HO HO HO to be connected. In the Newcastle, Lake Macquarie and Hunter region, you can find your closest payphone using the payphone finder on Telstra.com or Google Maps.
We sent a Newy with Kids mini-reviewer to try last year’s call. After being connected by one of Santa’s elves, Santa asked what she wanted for Christmas, whether she’d been naughty or nice, and if she was excited for the big day.
They also chatted about her favourite game and favourite Christmas movie. Last year’s version used generative AI, making the conversation feel more natural and responsive than a standard recorded message, and Santa used her name throughout the call. Each call runs for around 3 to 4 minutes and was completely free.
On privacy, Telstra addressed concerns last year by adding a message on the payphone screen and an introduction from one of Santa’s elves, letting callers know the calls are monitored for quality control before they dial in. Telstra also said it was taking steps to keep Santa’s AI responses focused only on Christmas-related topics and appropriate for kids
We’ll update this page as soon as Telstra confirms whether Free Calls to Santa is returning for 2026. In the meantime, you can check the Telstra website for the latest.