Mission to seek out Bay's single men

Headlines have screamed it. Women bemoan it. And figures around a man drought are there in black and white.
So a Tauranga woman is on the hunt for men, to appease the women of the Bay of Plenty.
Sonia Morris has set up the dating business Lara's Lounge, which aims to introduce singletons, through the likes of speed dating, adventure outings, wine tastings, regional trips and gigs, and even overseas holidays.
There's only one problem.
"It seems to me I have the girls, but 'where are the men?'," she laments.
Ms Morris is after Western Bay men aged from their 20s to 50-plus to become a member of Lara's Lounge.
She's even gone as far as setting up profiles on both www.nzdating.com and www.findsomeone.co.nz to promote her business and find the single men.
The 44-year-old mother of two and trained primary school teacher spent five years as a singleton before meeting her current beau 18 months ago.
With "uncomfortable" attempts at internet dating herself and a swagger of comments from single friends about the lack of dating culture in Tauranga, she set to work to set up Lara's Lounge.
In less than a month, she has 50 people on her books, has held one group dinner, has another planned last week held her first Speed Dating event.
She hopes to eventually get enough single men and women on her books that she can begin to offer a greater number of events, tailored to different age groups.
Ms Morris says the idea of Lara's Lounge isn't so much a "match making" business but a "social provider".
When she gets 1000 members, she intends to open her own wine bar called Lara's Lounge in Tauranga.
"Internet dating is really awkward. Suddenly, you've got to meet these people.
"Lara's Lounge is where a group of people can meet in a more natural environment and don't feel it's a 'meat market'. They can sit around and chat and laugh ... it's a social environment I hope will put [singles] more at ease." And at the same time, singles are encouraged not to take themselves too seriously.
Along with a free drink at speed dating, singles will also get cue cards if they get stumped on subjects.
One of the questions includes: "What animal would you be in the wild?"
"Would they be a monkey? Or would they be a snake?
"It tells them something about their personality," Ms Morris said with a grin.
For more info: www.dinnerforsixtauranga.co.nz or phone Sonia on 027 406 4248.