North Canterbury News: April 18, 2024

Cruising solo ... Cruise ships are making it easier for solo travellers.
PHOTO: NCL MEDIA
Cruising solo popular
By JOHN COSGROVE
The cruising and travel industry has finally
woken up to the value solo travellers bring
to the table.
For many older travellers, often on
bucket list journeys, time and
circumstance means you may at some
point travel by yourself.
Jonathan Prager, owner­operator of
House of Travel Rangiora, says there is
more of ademand for solo travel now than
pre­covid.
‘‘Subject to availability, many cruise
lines and tour operatorsare starting to
offer very attractive deals for solo
travellers, and are organising special
cruises for solos as part of dedicated tour
packages.’’
As demand grows, hotel chains and
coach tours are also working towards
making solo travel easier.
‘‘Older travellersare becoming more
adventurous, they want to see and do more
so tour organisers are making greater
efforts to try to match people to groups that
will help make their tour better as asolo.”
Anne Murphy, director of the Rangiorabased
Hiking New Zealand says many of
their clients come in pairs, but there is a
growing number travelling as solos.
“We try to match them with other
travellersofsimilar strengths and fitness
to make their experience with us a
wonderful time.”
Solo traveller Robyn Carter of Pegasus
says she tries to travel with agroup most
times, but sometimes being on your own is
more of an adventure.
‘‘I prefer travelling with like­minded
people, usually photographers, which is
my passion, like on my recent trip to
Honduras, avery dangerous but beautiful
country to travel in.
‘‘What annoys me is when you go solo the
price goes up. When you travel you are
only paying for the room, not the number of
people staying in it, and yet because you
are on your own the price is dearer.’’
Safety is always on your mind, says
Robyn, but using common sense and being
aware of the risks gets her through most
situations.
The only time she was ever in trouble as
asolo traveller was when adonkey bucked
her off in Greece and the handler ran away
leaving the injured Robyn on her own until
eventually another handler came along to
help her.
Many of the world’s biggest cruise lines
are seeking ways to tempt solo cruise
travellers with single cabins, reduced
single supplements and other benefits.
To cater to the rising interest in solo
travel, many lines are finding attractive
ways to go after this lucrative market,
previously ignored for decades.
Cruise ship companies have in the past
added between 25­50% on top of the double
occupancy rate for asolo traveller, but
recently Norwegian Cruise Line
announced it was introducing nearly 1000
dedicated solo staterooms across its
19­ship fleet.
Terri Haas, VP of Sales and Marketing
for Star Clippers America announced the
fleet­wide expansion of its solo stateroom
category as they recognised renewed
interest in NCL’s product offering for solo
cruisers keeps growing,
‘‘Waiving the single supplement on
select sailings goes along way with our
guests.
Onboard, the crew is on the lookout for
solo travellers, and will help to seat them
with other guests early in the cruise to
make it easier for them to mix and mingle
and find new friends.’’
NEWS
North Canterbury News, April 18, 2024
13
Rangiora defends title
The Rangiora Photographic Society
scraped in by just three points to
successfully retain its annual inter­club
virtual challenge trophy against the
Garstang Camera Club in Lancashire,
United Kingdom.
Each club submitted 30 images from
members and the judging took place
online via Zoom, with the clubs
streaming live the judging session for
members in both countries.
The Rangiora Photographic Society
(RPS) came out as the winner, with 510
points. The Garstang Camera Club’s
images scored 507 points.
The Champion Image was from
Rangiora, taken by Cathy Price and
titled ‘The Loss.'
RPS club member Marilyn Holgate
says there were many great images on
both sides this year and, it was avery
close score between the two clubs.
‘‘We were lucky to scrape in.”
Mike Jenner, joint chairperson of the
Garstang Camera Club, says the interclub
virtual event came about when he
contacted aprofessional photographer
in Christchurch in 2021, asking him to
recommend atwinning camera club in
New Zealand.
Mike says the photographer
recommended his local club, the
Rangiora Photographic Society.
‘‘They seemed like alovely bunch of
people, who were all very enthusiastic
about their craft.’’
The RPS were keen to start atwinning
arrangement with Garstang, and an
interclub virtual trophy competition was
arranged.
The judging of the competition was
streamed live from New Zealand on a
Thursday evening and due to the 12­hour
time difference, was also shown ‘live’ in
Garstang at approx. 7.45am on the same
Champion image ... ‘The Loss’, taken by
Cathy Price of Pegasus.
PHOTO: CATHY PRICE
morning.
Mike says they had agood audience in
England, accompanied by sparkling
wine and bacon butties.
Result: Rangiora won by 10 points.
The second interclub competition was
also live­streamed on Zoom, this time
from Garstang on Wednesday evening
February 28, 2024, to the RPS who
received it at 8.15am early on Thursday
morning.
Result: Rangiora won by three points.
Mike says despite their initial two
defeats, his club are looking forward to
the third competition in February of
2025.
Photographic results
EveningElegance, an image taken by
Karina Templeton, was judged
Champion Image at the Rangiora
Photographic Society’s first open
competition.
Karina’s image also gained Agrade
honours and Best in Grade.
Results: AGrade honours: Flora –
Sarah Perrins; Rodeo 2024 –Sarah
Perrins; Moeraki Boulders –Eunice
Belk; The Day the Music Died –Sue
Titmuss; The Conjuror –Sue Titmuss;
Girl with the Red Dress –David Bayley;
MorningLight JaneSeddon Shipwreck
–Amy Boyce; Wild Elegance –Amy
Boyce; Sea Eagle –Robyn Young;
Coiffing –Marilyn Holgate; Alfie –
Kristal Merry; Triple Trouble –Kristal
Merry; Contentment –Karina
Templeton; EveningElegance –Karina
Templeton; The Way you look Tonight –
Colleen Linnell;
Just Joey –Colleen Linnell; Jagged 1
–Stuart Allan; Incoming Tide –Allan
McGregor; Menopause –Cathy Price;
Savannah Friends –Cathy Price.
BGrade honours: Melbourne Skyline
–Cliff Boddy; Historical Stone Faç ade
–Cliff Boddy; Antrum BuildingLights –
Peter O’Dea; Incoming –Danielle
Armstrong; Steampunk Stroll –
Danielle Armstrong; Moonglow –Peter
Wright.
CGrade honours: Autumn Garden
Leaf ­Linda Ritchie; Let’s Dance–
Linda Ritchie; Yes Miss –Wayne Allott;
Rugged Rocks –Diane McGregor;
Best In Grade
A–Evening Elegance –Karina
Templeton; B–Moonglow –Peter
Wright; C–Autumn Garden Leaf –
Linda Ritchie.
Pricing starting from $415,000
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