Instead of retiring, Simm started up Northland Experiences and never looked back. Photo / Supplied
Instead of retiring, Simm started up Northland Experiences and never looked back. Photo / Supplied
Mike Simm, founder of Northland Experiences, talks to Elisabeth Easther about Covid silver linings, starting a business in his 70s and why Northland is one of the best spots to cycle.
Originally from Wellington, Mike Simm migrated to Auckland to work in construction then, when Fullers went into receivership in 1989 Simm, with two partners, bought the company and moved to Northland.
Resident in the Bay of Islands for more than 30 years now, Simm is a committed Northlander but, instead of reaching a certain age and retiring, in 2019 Simm started Northland Experiences, offering fully-supported Far North walking and cycling holidays.
You're no stranger to bold business moves, but starting a boutique tour company, in your 70s, what brought that on?
Lots of small towns have been brought back to life by cycle trails, and the Twin Coast Cycle Trail has done that to Northland, with local people benefiting from increased tourism along the trail and beyond, by sharing the stories of their lives. We're helping revitalise small towns, offering people an opportunity to boost their incomes, whether they're offering homestays or niche tourism offerings.
Northern Spirit, is a new five-day e-bike tour that starts and finishes in Kerikeri and includes iconic locations like Cape Reinga. Photo / Supplied
What can visitors expect, when they sign up for a Northland Experiences trip?
We're a small group boutique tour company, and our original offering is Cook to Kupe, an exploration of the western Bay of Islands and into Hokianga over a five-day fully supported e-bike tour. This tour - which also includes some walking - encapsulates the area's history from the west coast to the east. It includes lesser-known attractions like Wairere Boulders and Manea Footprints of Kupe, as well as the better-known Footprints Waipoua, Waitangi Treaty Grounds and Pompallier House.
What's the response been like?
We get the most effusive feedback, and not just from overseas guests, but New Zealanders telling us we've opened their eyes to things they never knew about. We've only been running two years and this week, we had our first return guests. Word of mouth is the best advertising, and to have people come back just 18 months later, that's really satisfying.
How has Covid impacted business?
For a start we lost all our overseas visitors, and they accounted for 40 per cent of our business. The Australian impact was especially significant, but they've started returning now restrictions have eased off. We're also seeing New Zealanders who specifically want to support tourism up here. They've read how local operators are suffering so they're intentionally taking guided trips to help keep these places alive.
How have those smaller towns and operators been faring?
It's been rough, which is why we encourage visitors to support these smaller places that've missed their usual summer holiday traffic. Locals are really appreciative of Kiwis who consciously support them in this way.
After running for just two years, Simms said they've already had their first return visitors. Photo / Supplied
You expanded just before the pandemic. Was that a new direction, or more of the same?
We bought a local bike hire business called Top Trail. It's the unguided version of Northland Experiences and helps visitors ride the Twin Coast Trail from Ōpua to Hōreke, but in two days instead of five. In spite of Covid, that's mostly been positive with numbers picking up and we're confident it'll continue to grow.
Are there any new itineraries in the pipeline?
Well the big news, we've created Northern Spirit, a five-day e-bike tour that starts and finishes in Kerikeri and can include up to 250km of cycling. It includes iconic tourist locations like 90 Mile Beach and Cape Reinga, and follows the mystical route of the spirits as they make their way to their homeland in the Pacific. We're expecting half those who've already done Cook to Kupe to return for Northern Spirit. Our first trip sets off in May and is fully booked.
What makes cycling in Northland so special?
We're small fry, yet we get favourably compared with Alps2Ocean and Otago Central Rail Trail. One of our competitive advantages is we offer year-round riding, so people can do our tours in winter when many of the South Island trails are closed. The cultural content is also special and the trail has so many elements, from beautiful bush to coast and heritage.
What if guests aren't so keen on cycling?
We have them covered too, as we just launched a three-day three-night upmarket educational walking tour of the Bay of Islands. On the first day they'll visit Marsden Cross at Rangihoua, and The Landing for a degustation lunch and wine tasting.
Day two is a three-island tour looking at the amazing work Project Island Song ha done eradicating pests, and weeds and replanting native trees so DOC could relocate endangered species. The third day is a guided tour of Russell focused on Māori and early European history.
Have there been any silver-linings from Covid?
If Covid hadn't come along, we'd have been way ahead of where we are now, but we have been able to create new products during this quieter period. My wife Lynn and I used the time to explore potential routes and special local attractions for the Northern Spirit itinerary. That was extremely satisfying and brought home to us how much there is to discover in our own backyard.
How did you deal with the stress of Covid?
I tried to focus on the things we can change. All the wonderful feedback we've had has helped too, and it feels really positive, encouraging visitors to explore the north by bike and on foot.
What gives you the most pleasure professionally?
We're really proud of what we do with locals sharing Northland with a wider audience. We're also proud to open up places like Hokianga to higher-end tourism and we look forward to doing the same with the Far North.
It is an educative process and while some of our Northland characters can be a little rough around the edges, we want to maintain that authentic Northland flavour. We're doing good stuff, spreading tourism around these areas and helping to create new, sustainable jobs because there are huge opportunities for people who want to be a part of what we're doing. northlandexperiences.co.nz
