Ho, ho, hello! How kids can call Santa for free this Christmas
The hotline to the North Pole is now open.
Have yourself a merry little chat with the big man in red this festive season!
There’s possibly no one busier than Santa at this time of year but despite millions of toys to sort and naughty and nice lists to double-check, the jolly old fella will also be making the time to answer his phone.
Throughout the Christmas period, from now until December 24th, Telstra will be offering free calls to Santa via any one of their 14,000+ payphones.
On Saturday 13 and Sunday 14 December, every free call made to Santa from a Telstra payphone will donate $1 to Kids Helpline, supporting young people during one of their busiest and most challenging times of year.
Christmas can be tough for many young people. Last December alone, Kids Helpline received nearly 10,000 calls, including nearly 200 on Christmas Day alone, and we expect to see similar numbers this year. For many experiencing family stress, loneliness or conflict, knowing help is available is essential.
With nearly 2 million calls made to Santa since 2021, and eight thousand Kids Helpline calls placed from payphones in the past year, Telstra’s public phone network continues to play a crucial role in giving kids a safe way to connect.
Getting Santa on the blower is easy, simply dial #HOHOHO (#464646) on any Telstra payphone and kids will be put in direct contact with the white-bearded man himself.
Kids can chat to Santa about all sorts of Christmas topics , from asking about the weather in the North Pole, to what the reindeer like to snack on before their big Christmas Eve adventure, and of course have the opportunity to submit their wish list.
This is not only a fun activity for kids but an educational one. With Telstra’s payphones free for all calls within Australia, taking kids to a payphone to call Santa is a great way to teach them how to use and locate their nearest payphone in case of an emergency.
How to call Santa
1. Head to any Telstra payphone around the country from now until December 24.
2. To find your nearest payphone, hit search on Google Maps – Payphones Sydney CBD and Surrounds – Google My Maps
3. Dial #HO HO HO (#464646)
4. Make sure you’re ready with a few questions for Santa, and to tell him what’s at the top of your wish list!
Calling Santa is a Christmas ritual
Since launching in 2021, Free Calls to Santa has become a true Aussie Christmas tradition with more than 1.5 million calls made to Santa HQ (and counting!). Nearly 100,000 kids have already tried ringing Santa’s Out of Office since last Christmas, eagerly waiting for the hotline’s big return.
And it turns out Aussie kids have some uniquely festive call habits! Over the past five years, data from the top 100 most-called payphones reveal:
• Outback wishlists: One of the most remote calls to Santa’s workshop came from Anmatjere (Pmara Jutjunta) — a small First Nations community right in the heart of the NT.
• Coastal calls: Around 60% of calls come from near beaches and waterfronts.
• Country cheer: The rest mostly ring in from regional towns and favourite holiday spots.
The most festive public phones in each state have also been revealed. The payphones racking up the most calls to Santa:
- NSW: Mosman – The Esplanade
- VIC: Melbourne – Bourke Street Mall
- QLD: Seventeen Seventy – Captain Cook Drive
- SA: Hahndorf – Mount Barker Road
- WA: Coogee – Cockburn Road
- TAS: South Hobart – Washington Street
- NT: Tennant Creek – Tinkarli Town Camp
- ACT: Garran – Garran Place
