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[title]Santa’s probably having a tougher time getting his job done every year, what with all the ways we can get a hold of him now. Back in the day he was strictly a postal-only kinda guy, but now you can track his every move online, and even dial him at the North Pole from your nearest Telstra payphone.
The beloved Aussie tradition is coming back for Christmas 2026, with more than 14,000 payphones across the country connecting kids straight to the Claus household in the North Pole from November 10 right up to Christmas Eve.
If the whole family wants a word, around 300 payphones nationwide have one or more payphones lined up side by side, so you won’t have to take turns. Kids who want a special chat can call from kid-sized payphones in Telstra’s flagship Melbourne store as well as Discovery Stores in Brisbane and Sydney, or from special Santa phones available from December 1 in all Telstra retail stores across the country. And for the first time, a family-sized phone with overhead speakers will be available to use at Melbourne’s Queen Victoria Market across the Christmas period, so everyone can get their wish list in at once.
To get on the line with Saint Nick, all you need to do is find your nearest payphone (which you can do online if you haven’t seen one lately), then dial #HOHOHO (#464646). We can’t make any guarantees he’ll be able to deliver on your wishlist requests, but you can rest assured the call won’t cost you a cent. In fact, if you call during the first week, $1 will be donated to Kids Helpline, which offers 24/7 support to kids and young people who need it most*.
*Donations to Kids Helpline between November 10-17 will be made up to a predetermined amount.