Northern Advocate
  • Northern Advocate home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Sport
  • Property
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Sport
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings

Locations

  • Far North
  • Kaitaia
  • Kaikohe
  • Bay of Islands
  • Whangārei
  • Kaipara
  • Mangawhai
  • Dargaville

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • Kaitaia
  • Whangārei
  • Dargaville

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Northern Advocate

Northland tourism operator: Tough times ahead but 'we'll get through'

By Peter de Graaf
Reporter·Northern Advocate·
16 Mar, 2020 07:00 PM2 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Flying Kiwi Parasail owner Rich De Rosa, with crew member Elliot Bexon, expects his business to be hard hit by Covid-19 but he's determined to hang on to his core staff through winter. Photo / Peter de Graaf

Flying Kiwi Parasail owner Rich De Rosa, with crew member Elliot Bexon, expects his business to be hard hit by Covid-19 but he's determined to hang on to his core staff through winter. Photo / Peter de Graaf

Businesses across Northland are bracing themselves for what could be a sharp downturn — and nowhere more so than in the Bay of Islands where Covid-19 has turned off the local economy's lifeblood.

All cruise ship visits have been halted until June 30 and the number of visitors arriving by other means is also expected to drop as people worldwide put overseas holidays on hold.

As of 1am yesterday all arrivals in New Zealand are required to spend two weeks in isolation in a bid to slow the spread of the Covid-19 virus.

READ MORE:
• Possible Covid-19 patient from Northland tests negative, more results expected back by today
• Covid-19: Northland GPs are the key to mitigating 'nasty consequences' for region
• Covid-19: Northland frontline health care staff well prepared
• Coronavirus: What we know about NZ's eight Covid-19 cases

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Rich De Rosa, owner of Paihia-based Flying Kiwi Parasail, said cruise ships were the ''icing on the cake'' for his business.

With no more ships coming in he had put one of his two boats in storage and let one skipper go.

He had also lost a big wholesale contract when Contiki, a provider of tours for under-35s, had taken its buses off the road until at least the end of April.

''So I've got to cut my crew back. I'll just strip back a bit and see what happens.''

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

De Rosa was, however, determined to keep operating through winter, so he could provide Paihia with a year-round activity and keep his key staff employed.

He had a core crew of three which ramped up to nine from Christmas usually until Easter.

''We're getting close to the end [of the season] anyway. If this had happened in November it would've been a world of hurt. It's definitely going to impact us, and a lot of other small businesses, but we'll get through. We've been here 22 years.''

De Rosa said the Government could help businesses like his by putting provisional tax bills on hold, especially because no one knew what the next year would bring. A tax break or wage subsidies would also be helpful.

Discover more

Make coronavirus tests more available, sick traveller urges

04 Mar 08:00 PM

Covid-19: GPs are the key to mitigating 'nasty consequences'

10 Mar 04:00 PM

Possible Covid-19 patient from Northland tests negative, more results expected back by today

11 Mar 06:00 PM

Cruise ships welcomed to Bay of Islands despite global coronavirus outbreak

13 Mar 11:00 PM

''It's critical for me to get my core staff through the winter months. I've got one guy who's been with me for 16 years. I have to hang on to him.''

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Northern Advocate

Premium
Northern Advocate

'Ambulance at the bottom': Retailers criticise new shoplifting penalties

13 Jul 05:00 PM
Northern Advocate

Man jailed after forcing children to witness horrific animal cruelty

13 Jul 08:00 AM
Northern Advocate

Insulation rule changes could cut $15k from new build costs

13 Jul 04:00 AM

From early mornings to easy living

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Northern Advocate

Premium
'Ambulance at the bottom': Retailers criticise new shoplifting penalties

'Ambulance at the bottom': Retailers criticise new shoplifting penalties

13 Jul 05:00 PM

Business owners aren't convinced instant fines are enough to curb shoplifting.

Man jailed after forcing children to witness horrific animal cruelty

Man jailed after forcing children to witness horrific animal cruelty

13 Jul 08:00 AM
Insulation rule changes could cut $15k from new build costs

Insulation rule changes could cut $15k from new build costs

13 Jul 04:00 AM
Kaipara Deputy Mayor loses another battle with FENZ in six-year employment dispute

Kaipara Deputy Mayor loses another battle with FENZ in six-year employment dispute

13 Jul 03:00 AM
Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • The Northern Advocate e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Northern Advocate
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The Northern Advocate
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP