Bright is starting to look more like the popular tourist destination it was before a nightmare 2020.
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Bushfires and the COVID-19 pandemic have turned the vibrant village into a ghost town throughout the year, but visitors didn't need an excuse to get out of the house over the weekend following an easing of restrictions in regional Victoria.
While it's only early days, the streets had plenty of foot traffic, cafes and shops served a steady flow of customers and parks and playgrounds were in full swing.
Coral Lee cafe owner Michelle Turner has remained open the entire year, mostly with takeaway, and could notice the difference on Saturday.
"The first couple of days (with fewer restrictions) the locals have been supporting us, but today has been consistently busier with people hitting town," she said.
"The whole vibe of the town is completely different.
"Everyone is happier and they're not talking about COVID for five minutes.
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"We've just got to hope this is the lead in to a real pick up in business."
Mansfield's Sam Ridley and his family jumped at the chance to return to one of their favourite holiday spots when the Victorian government announced regional areas of the state would be moving to step three of the road map on Wednesday.
"We're booked to stay four or five nights but we're thinking about extending because it's such a lovely place to be," he said.
"It's nice to be able to give something back too.
"You really feel it, especially in the small towns like Mansfield and Bright, the ski seasons in particular, you recognise there are so many people in transit who make a difference to the population and the businesses in town."
Baranduda father Murray Keogh relocated his family back to the Border a month ago from Melbourne and the timing couldn't have been better for a road trip.
"Being in Melbourne with young children was tough. You have to justify to your four-year-old why they can't go to the park," he said.
"I've lived all around Australia with the army and this is my third time here (on the Border) and I love it."
Stephanie Sellar-Peam and her daughters Norah and Clara only live up the road at Falls Creek but relished the chance to visit more than the supermarket on their weekly venture to Bright.
"It's lovely to get out and about and enjoy the weather and freedom," she said.
"This is our weekly shopping trip so it's nice to have the benefit this week of being able to come to the park."
Ms Turner is confident Bright businesses can recover from "a whole year basically without trade", but has fears many would not survive a third lockdown.
In further good news for tourism in the area, Billson's Brewery at Beechworth will reopen on Friday after a closure of more than six months.