As Melbourne’s pandemic restrictions lifted in the early hours of Friday morning, workers at Arbory Afloat, a bar and restaurant on a 50-metre-long barge on the Yarra River, were counting the hours to reopening.

Decked out in a new beach club theme, the hospitality business at Flinders Walk was preparing for a burst of activity from customers keen to escape lockdown, even with fewer staff and seats than before the pandemic.