YOUR GUIDE TO OUR REGION’S BEST EATS
GEELONG businesses have opened up shop for the first time in two months as restrictions eased in Victoria yesterday.
Beauty salons, tattoo parlours and tourist accommodation were all accepting customers in line with State Government guidelines.
With 10 weeks of backed up appointments, many of the region’s tattoo artists and cosmetologists were already booked solid.
Purely Piercing/Kustome Kulture
Body Graphics in the city centre had put social distancing measures in place amid a flurry of bookings.
Owner and manager Lisa Kearns opened the salon by appointmentonly yesterday.
“Because of all the uncertainty, we couldn’t commit to appointments until the last minute, but our priority was to get the clients we had back in the door,” she said.
“Everything we do is now by appointment so we can control the traffic coming through the door.”
Ms Kearns said phones were ringing off the hook when the return date was announced.
“I think the appointment-only (system) is going to serve us and clients well into the future,” she said.
“People can arrive and not have to wait. They know they’re going to see who they are here to see. It’s been great to catch up and touch base with people.”
Under the new guidelines, private stays were also allowed in private residences, camping and tourist accommodation without shared facilities such as bathrooms.
Barwon River Holiday Park manager Kathryn Garrow said the park had plenty of open spaces outside perfect for social distancing.
“We’ve only just been allowed to reopen to holiday guests, but it’s good to know people can come back and see people and families enjoying the facilities again,” she said.
“We’ve got big open areas and our playgrounds are open again.”
In line with guidelines, cleaning of shared facilities and spaces has been stepped up.
Experts have signalled attracting
domestic tourism across Geelong and the Surf Coast will be a key driver for the region’s economic recovery.
Geelong residents were enjoying their first breakfast out in more than two months, with. cafes, restaurants and pubs allowed up to 20 patrons at a time.
King of the Castle cafe owners Gemma and Nick Watts were excited to welcome people back.
“It’s a lot nicer to have people back through the doors,” Mr Watts said.
“It really adds a bit of atmosphere that we’d missed and it’s good to be a part of it.”
Staff followed government guidelines, disinfecting and wiping down surfaces and menus after each table finished.
“I think people were excited to have some level of normality, to return to their usual place for breakfast or lunch,” he said.
From June 22, eateries will be able to serve up to 50 people at a time.