As Melbourne 'unblocked' on Friday, citizens flocked to the Mornington Peninsula this weekend to enjoy the first weekend since the unblocking in nearly three months.
According to the Herald Sun on Oct. 24, it was drizzling in the early morning on Saturday and the temperature was only about 15 degrees Celsius, but that did not dampen people's interest, and those who longed for a day trip went straight to Sorento on the Mornington Peninsula.
After the travel was expanded to the entire Greater Melbourne area, including the Mornington Peninsula, and a large number of people traveled to the peninsula, there was a traffic jam at Point Nepean Rd.
Cafes reopened for dine-in and small retailers reopened on the sidewalks, welcoming visitors back with open arms after a difficult few months.
Julie Lochran, manager of Blue Illusion, a local fashion retailer in Sorrento, said the reopening was fantastic.
Blue Illusion manager Julie Lochran (Image: Herald Sun)
"Everybody's having a really tough time, we have very loyal employees and we just want to go back to the jobs we love," she said. ”
"The atmosphere is really nice, it's a place worth coming, supporting local businesses and we want to welcome every visitor who comes back."
Hordes of drinkers sit down for a drink and enjoy a meal at the outdoors of the local Ocean Beach Pavilion pub, and locals and visitors alike are packed with crowds under the venue's limits.
Manager Dilian Jay said: "It felt really good to come back and our bookings have been stable this weekend. "The customer is happy ... It's great to get back on track. ”
Dilian Jay at Ocean Beach Pavilion (Credit: Herald Sun)
Jay said he wasn't worried about Melbourne tourists spreading the coronavirus to the seaside town because of the region's high vaccination rates.
The mornington peninsula has a first dose rate of nearly 95 percent, with three quarters of residents aged 16 and over fully vaccinated.