24 Apr 25 - Resident stories
Secrets of a tour guide
Ask Shirley Royds how many cruises she’s been on, and she’ll pause before admitting she’s lost count long ago.
“I really couldn’t say, and it’s been a question I am often asked,” the Summerset Mount Denby resident says. “I know with Princess Cruises it’s more than 30, but that tends to be more personal travel than with work.”
For 16 years, Shirley and her husband, Bryan, led local and international tours. A former paralegal planning to retire, Shirley was invited to host a North Island tour after booking a holiday through Travelwise Holidays and connecting with the owner. “I had never done anything like it before. The first tour was over Christmas. We left with 15, and returned with 14!” laughs Shirley, reflecting on her inauspicious start where a guest left via ambulance following a fall. “I learned pretty quickly that anything can happen.”
Indeed, Shirley, who has led tours to locations as far flung as Russia and the Baltic states, on trains, planes, buses and cruises, for adventures as long as 29 days, has seen and heard almost everything, from nightmarish travel delays to an entire hotel staff striking on a colleague’s tour. “Some days everyone wanted my job, and other days no one did!” she laughs.
Often weather was the biggest challenge, especially on tours where people may be joining at different locations. “We were on Victoria Island in Canada, due to fly to Toronto, but bad weather meant that we couldn’t leave. We managed to get accommodation for 38 people at short notice but missed our flights. We got alternative flights the following morning, but we couldn’t all get on the same plane. Half our group went to one airport, half went to another. As the tour guide you must be on top of it, organised and positive; difficult when you have had as little sleep as everyone else!”
No matter how frequently Shirley led the same trip, different group dynamics meant the experience was always unique. “Keeping everyone happy is a challenge. Very different people are spending a lot of time together – even sharing rooms,” she explained. Setting expectations early was key to a smooth journey. “Travelling overseas I’d take the mic on the bus from the airport. I’d explain coach seats would rotate and, if they came to make friends, showing up last in the morning or claiming the front seat every time wouldn’t win anyone over.”
Previously a music teacher, Shirley has noticed that most guides tend to be former educators. “An ability to organise and marshal a group effectively is key,” she says. “Teachers spend a career doing that!”
Most of Shirley’s tour guests have been retirees, and Shirley has made many friends. “Repeat bookings were easier,” she laughs. “They chose to be with you again. Some expected the moon, and that was hard, especially as so much changed because of Covid. Some people don’t enjoy themselves and the tour guide bore the brunt of their dissatisfaction. It is not nice being disliked.”
For guests with nothing planned Shirley had a knack for turning a free day into an unforgettable adventure. “Big cities can be a lot to handle – traffic, noise, the sheer bustle,” she explained. “Some retreated into their hotel rooms. I would invite guests to meet me in the hotel lobby, and together we’d create an outing.” In New York, that led to a memorable boat tour around the Statue of Liberty. In Los Angeles, it turned into an eclectic mix of experiences, exploring an outlet mall by bus, soaking in art at the Getty Center, and paying a visit to Marilyn Monroe’s final resting place.
Despite seeing so much of the world, Shirley’s favourite place to lead a tour was across the ditch. “Tasmania is great. No big cities, its relaxed, beautiful, and there’s lots to do; I led tours there several times.”
The ‘lock-up and leave’ lifestyle that Summerset offers suits Shirley and Brian, for the pair are still prolific travellers. They recently returned from a cruise around New Zealand with fellow residents from the village, and they set sail again shortly on The World on an epic three-and-a-half-month cruise – the second time they have done it.
“We heard about the village through some very good friends of ours who signed up,” Shirley recalls. “We went to look at while it was still a building site and happened to meet the sales manager. We ended up putting down a deposit and moved in at the end of 2023! No maintenance, security, friends moving in – it was an easy decision!”
This is an article from the Autumn 2025 edition of Summerset Scene magazine