The world has turned upside down since the COVID-19 pandemic hit in March, 2020, and life in the Moyne Shire has not been untouched by this change.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
While visitors from other country Victorian areas have been allowed for some time, interstate and Melbourne tourists are still not permitted into Moyne.
Given the importance of the tourism industry to our region, this continues to provide challenges for many businesses.
For those servicing the local trade, restrictions in operations have also made life far from normal.
Today, we look at the varying impacts of the pandemic restrictions on businesses in Moyne.
We look at a business that has flourished and one that has lost much of its trade.
TOUGH BATTLE
When the Moyne Gazette spoke to Kadir and Alison Zehir in early April, the couple were hoping the impact on their Port Fairy Youth Hostel could be absorbed and hoped the wait to return to business as usual would not be too long.
The Zehir's were pinning their hopes on the September school holidays as a return to full trade.
The second wave of COVID-19 in Melbourne and the ring of steel around the state capital provided a huge setback for the hostel.
"The last six to seven moths have been very quiet," Mr Zehir said.
"Our busiest day was actually the Saturday just gone when we had 10 people stay. But Sunday night it was back to one.
"I think what is working against us is that we have shared facilities, such as bathrooms and kitchens
"People who are going away are paying that bit extra to have their own facilities."
Mr Zehir is hopeful of a busy summer season, with strong bookings in place for that period. These bookings remain tentative though, with most from Melbourne.
The pandemic has provided a double income blow for Mr Zehir, who usually leads two or three tours to Turkey each year. This is the first time in 15 years these tours have not been able to go ahead.
BUSY, BUSY, BUSY
When it comes to running a small business in Port Fairy, Courtney Smith is a one-woman-band.
Smith is the sole operator of Court Comms, a public relations agency in Port Fairy, which she has ran for the past three years.
Ms Smith works with local businesses and events to promote their good and services and raise awareness of their brands. This is done through traditional and social media platforms.
Ms Smith said the pandemic had led to local businesses and events being proactive in what they could do to stay ahead of the game in tough times.
"I have been busier than ever during the lockdowns," Ms Smith said.
"Businesses realise how important it is to keep getting the word out there and they are finding different ways to make that happen.
"I have picked up a lot of work from businesses who have accessed grants and want to use that money on marketing.
"Feeding information to traditional media is still the majority of what I do, but I have also upskilled and I can now build websites so that opens other doors."