The Bathurst CBD was a hive of activity on Saturday as residents enjoyed their first weekend out and about since the easing of stay-at-home restrictions last Monday.

Car parks were getting back to full, cafes and restaurants were doing a good trade and retailers were happily welcoming back good crowds of customers.

It was a glimpse into what we can expect for the foreseeable future of living with COVID with shoppers now well accustomed to QR coding in an out of businesses and wearing their masks at all indoor venues.

And it was also something to celebrate after eight difficult weeks for many. Local retailers have been hit hard by the lockdowns and need our support now more than ever.

Sydneysiders may have been locked out of the regions for another couple of weeks but the barriers for movement around our own local area are rapidly disappearing - for double-vaccinated residents, at least.

Premier Dominic Perrottet tweeted on Saturday afternoon that NSW had now passed the 80 per cent double-vaxxed mark for adults, triggering the easing of further restrictions.

The milestone has opened the way for community sport to return, residents will be able to welcome up to 20 visitors to their home and outdoor gatherings of up to 50 people will be allowed.

Masks will no longer be mandatory in office buildings and caps will be lifted on weddings and funerals.

And on Monday schools will start welcoming back students, much to the relief of parents, teachers and even the kids themselves.

Few have enjoyed online learning and even fewer have thrived. Nothing can replace the face-to-face connection of a teacher and their students just as nothing can replace the relationships and lessons children learn in the playground between classes.

These are all small steps but they're all important, and each of them brings us closer to life as we once knew it. We may never get all the way back to normal but the future is certainly looking brighter now than it was just a couple of months ago.

As the premier said on Saturday, summer is looking good in NSW. And it's looking great in Bathurst.