Now that travel is becoming a possibility again, the NRMA is anticipating a rise in petrol prices, which are already quite high.

Bathurst's average price for unleaded fuel has been steadily rising for weeks and, as of Thursday, was sitting at 151.2 cents per litre.

While it's within five cents of the yearly average, it's a far cry from the prices being seen this time last year.

"Last year's prices were an aberration caused by the massive slump in demand during the initial COVID-19 lockdowns globally," a NRMA spokesperson said.

"What we find is regional price cycles are much more intimately tied to global oil prices than the Sydney cycle.

"The reason regional prices are trending back up now is because even though Australian domestic fuel demand has been lower, global demand is getting back to pre-COVID levels, coupled with supply shortages and OPEC production cuts, it's leading to higher prices at the bowser."

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They said the prices will be going up as Australia moves into the summer months.

"We are definitely going to see prices keep trending up as we head into summer and people get back on our roads, that's certainly what we're seeing in Sydney," they said.

"Unfortunately for the region, we also tend to see higher global oil prices as we head into our summer as demand for oil in the European winter increases, so we could see regional-metropolitan price parity at some point."

People are encouraged to shop around for the best price and take advantage of tools, such as the FuelWatch and myNRMA apps, that can provide up-to-date prices.

These tools can be particularly helpful for people travelling in the coming weeks, enabling them to more easily plan their trip.

"It's obviously been very hard for motorists these last few months with limits on how far they can travel to get the best prices but with those lifting, it's really important to try and find a bargain wherever you can," the NRMA spokesperson said.

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