A day with Golden Bay Air - Part 2

Part 1 of my day with Golden Bay Air can be found here... 

http://3rdlevelnz.blogspot.co.nz/2015/03/a-day-with-golden-bay-air-part-1.html

Somewhere over Cook Strait

Keiran (the Pilot) : So what are you going to do in Takaka for the day?

Steve : My sister and brother-in-law are staying in Nelson and are coming over to meet me.

Keiran : Well, we have to take ZOG over to pick up some passengers off an Air New Zealand flight and I have to pick up ZAG which has been on maintenance at Nelson... you can come for a ride if you like...

Well I've got a great sister and brother-in-law so they went and checked out the Takaka shops while I went flying...

Golden Bay Air does three major scenic flights... over Kahurangi National Park, Farewell Spit and over Abel Tasman National Park. The flight to Nelson took the scenic route around the coast of the Abel Tasman National Park and its magnificent coastline.

Let me introduce you to ZOG, or rather ZK-ZOG, Golden Bay Air's Piper PA28-181 Archer

Airborne from Takaka's Runway 36 under the command of the lovely Erman with me in the right hand seat and Kieran in the back seat...

Low tide in Golden Bay

The mouth of the Motupipi River, the small fishing port and Takaka behind

Port Tarakohe

Tata Beach

The Tata Islands

One of the many mussel farms at the top of the North Island

Wainui Bay

Taupo Hill

Whariwharangi Bay

Coming up on Separation Point with the light at the end...

Awaroa Bay

I'm told someone has donated one million dollars each year for the next forty years to restore the vegetation of Abel Tasman National Park and destroy the pine trees

Fisherman Island

Kaiteriteri

Riwaka

The changing face of horticulture and viviculture

Mapua

Rabbit Island

Nelson and the Boulder Bank

Follow the Q300 - passing Nelson

Finals for Nelson, Runway 20

And here is ZAG, ZK-ZAG, Golden Bay Air's Piper PA34 Seneca at Nelson after maintenance. My first flight in a Piper Seneca

Ready for departure on Runway 20.

Airborne from Nelson with Rabbit Island off the starboard wing

Looking back towards Nelson Airport and Monaco

and back on approach to Takaka

And a patient brother-in-law waiting for my return

Scenic flights offered by Golden Bay Air....

If you are in the Golden Bay and want to go flying check out...
http://www.goldenbayair.co.nz/scenicflights.html

Part 3 to follow!