Hi Mike,
I'd much prefer it during school holidays as well and having the public holiday is an added bonus - one annual leave date saved and opportunity to recover.
As it can be taxing on your sleep cycles, having it earlier at the start of school holidays gives families a few days to unwind when they get home, before possibly embarking on other outings/trips for the rest of the school break.
I assume either of those dates fit into the new moon cycle as well?
Cheers Norm