They've had their pins rattled this year, but there's no stopping this Highlands Bowling Centre.
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The fires, flooding, now COVID was looking to strike out Highland Tenpin Bowling located in Mittagong.
There were also rumblings of the business being sold off at the start of the year.
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Owner Stephen Pengly is now trying to put the start of 2020 behind him and move on toward a brighter future.
"We've only opened up two-and-a-half weeks ago," Pengly said.
"We were closed for three months. We've been renovating through that period and we're only operating half the bowling ally at this time.
"We're having around 50 people in at a time.
"We're sanitising constantly, but with school holidays on, we're only opening half because continually sanitising everything after it's been used would drive us mad.
"It needs to be done, we're getting through it and it just needs to be done."
Before COVID hit, it was the bushfires making circumstances difficult for the bowling alley.
Pengly was set to sell off the business and relocate to Sydney. But, in the closing stages of this idea, Pengly and the landlord came to new agreeable terms.
Now the sound of scattering pins will still ring through Mittagong.
"That was a very difficult time," Pengly said.
"The fires, the floods, I was ready to close altogether. In the end my landlord and I came to an agreement that was doable.
"We both stood up together to make this work. Now we're renovating and there's new carpet, new equipment and there will be a mini-golf course put in. The landlord has been very accommodating and helping us out and we're working as a team.
"We will get though it."
With school holidays well underway, the kids will be looking for activities before heading back to school. Highland Tenpin Bowling has just the answer to that.
"We're doing a school holiday deal," Pengly said.
"For $26 the kids can get two games of bowling, a hot-dog and fries. So get the kids down and get them having some fun these holidays."
With so many restrictions put in place, the hurdles at the beginning of the year, Pengly can't wait for some normality to return. But, he thinks it may be some time till then.
"Ask me what Melbourne is doing and I'll get back to you (laughs)," Pengly said.
"When these outbreaks happen, it makes governments nervous and they crack down.
"We've seen pubs and nightclubs doing silly things, we're an entertainment centre, we have kids and adults here for fun.
"The players aren't crammed in and on top of one another, there's distancing between lanes.
"If everyone behaves themselves, I'm hoping to see some normality in two to three months."
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