A drive around the corner at Port Kembla could save you more than $10 in petrol.
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It's an vivid illustration of just how much it pays to shop around - especially with fuel prices as high as they are now.
On Thursday morning the Illawarra had broken through the 170-cent ceiling - the highest price for unleaded petrol was 171.9 cents a litre.
While it wasn't quite that high in Port Kembla, there was a strip of four servos on Church Street selling fuel for 159.9 cents.
Yet, just an 850-metre drive down to Darcy Road would see motorists paying just 136.6 cents a litre.
That was also the cheapest petrol in the Illawarra on Thursday.
If you're filling up a 50-litre tank, that's a price difference of $11.65.
That's a worthwhile saving, especially this week as motorists feel the pinch of suddenly soaring petrol prices.
According to the NRMA, the Illawarra saw the average price for regular unleaded jump 23.2 cents in just a week.
The average regular unleaded price in the Illawarra reached a high of 163.3 cents.
"Everyone can tell you that's very expensive and you really feel the pinch when you're filling up," the NRMA's Bridget Ahern said.
"The good news is the prices are on their way down and you should hit somewhere in the 140[cent] vicinity if not a little bit lower in the next two to three weeks."
The NRMA said petrol prices rise and fall in a cycle, with the latest cycle starting a few days ago.
With cycles generally taking around 30 days from the time they start dropping to when they hit their peak again, that means a chance of high prices come Christmas.
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"Unfortunately, we don't know exactly how long these cycles last - they can last anywhere from 24 days right through to 30-something days," Ms Ahern said.
"If the last cycle is anything to go by we shouldn't hit the top of the cycle again until after Christmas. But we can't predict it so there is a bit of a chance the prices might go back up to the top of the cycle leading up to Christmas."
The news from the NRMA for those looking to go away at Christmas is to keep an eye on the prices and fill up as early as you can.
Glen Humphries
I'm an award-winning senior journalist with the Illawarra Mercury and have well over two decades' worth of experience in newspapers. I cover the three local councils in the Illawarra for the Mercury, state and federal politics, as well as writing for the TV guide. If I'm not writing, I'm reading.
I'm an award-winning senior journalist with the Illawarra Mercury and have well over two decades' worth of experience in newspapers. I cover the three local councils in the Illawarra for the Mercury, state and federal politics, as well as writing for the TV guide. If I'm not writing, I'm reading.
