Every Easter, Sydney retiree Elsa Ucak is one of the millions of Australians that hit the road to travel during the four day long weekend.
But this year, she has cancelled her trip with her husband because she could not justify how much petrol her getaway would use.
“We usually go to the countryside, but because of the petrol situation, we decided to stay at home this year,” said Ucak, 66.
A long trip would be costly and also consume fuel that could be used by people who needed it more, she said.
“It’s six or seven hours drive to the countryside and it’s expensive. Also we’ve got to think about it, working people need their petrol, but we’re retired, we can stay at home.”
“We usually go with a group of friends, everyone cancelled.”
The Easter long weekend is typically one of the busiest travel times of the year in Australia.
In 2025, more than 4.5 million people had been expected to travel over the period, spending $7.67 billion on their trips, according to research firm Roy Morgan.
But many plans this year have been disrupted by the outbreak of the Iran war on February 28 and the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, which has choked global energy supplies.
Australia, which imports about 90% of its fuel, has experienced localised shortages and seen prices soar.
–Reuters–
