Asides from availability – and the fear of lack of availability – the biggest other fuel- related fear of grey nomads is the surging cost of filling up.

Again, there was some relief last week when the fuel excise was halved cutting retail petrol prices by 26.3 cents a litre then another 5.7 cents. However, according to a report in the Guardian, diesel prices fell by less than 20 cents for the first cut, and kept rising after the second cut was delivered.

For grey nomads potentially planning long term trips, the issue isn’t just about short-term relief though.

The real question is … what happens next?

And the answer is: ‘nobody knows’.

With US President Donald Trump issuing threats of serious escalation if Iran doesn’t open up the Straits of Hormuz very shortly, the prospect of a quick end to the war appears to be diminishing.

And the reality is, even if the conflict was to end tomorrow and a deal was signed, petrol and diesel prices would take some time to come back down to their pre-war ranges.

The Sydney Morning Herald quotes one Australian fuel supplier executive as saying shipping traffic and energy flows would take ‘months’ to return to normal.

And the executive warned that the cost of shipping had also gone ‘through the roof’.  They told the SMH that the risk of traversing a recent war zone would keep maritime insurance premiums elevated for longer, inflicting further ‘knock-on effects’ to the price of petrol and diesel.

• How much did you pay for fuel the last time you filled up? And, have you had any issues finding fuel available? Comment below.