Remote Adventures - Come Fly with Jim and Mit

Remote Adventures was founded by Jim Larsen in 1978 about the time he purchased Cessna 185D ZK-CKO (c/n 185-0790). The operation was centred Makakaho Junction in the Waitotara Valley, some eighty minutes drive north of Wanganui. From small beginnings Remote Adventures devleoped and by the early 2002s it was offering a variety of scenic flights over Egmont and Tongariro Nationals Parks as well as flight to the Remote Adventures home base with its associated farm tourism and farm stay options and local hunting, fishing and jetboating activities. These flights operated from Stratford, Hawera, Raetihi or Wanganui.

Remote Adventures' first country - the Waitotara Valley. 

 Source : Remote Adventures' Website

In mid-2004 Jim and Remote Adventures moved to Takaka. Again, a variety of scenic flights were offered including over Abel Tasman and Kahurangi National Parks, Golden Bay and Farewell Spit as well as providing an air taxi service to and from Karamea for trampers on the Heaphy Track. While the business was run throughout the year, the busy season was from October until the end of May with lighter bookings through the winter months.

The business forged ahead over the years due to growing numbers of tourists visiting Golden Bay and Karamea, client satisfaction, and that it was run by a very experienced operator. Remote Adventures also operated a website which it shared with a sister company near Wanganui that concentrated on farm stays and hunting adventures.

Remote Adventure's Cessna 185 ZK-CKO at Takaka on 12 October 2009

In the summer of 2004/2005 Remote Adventures inaugurated its first regular service with a timetabled service operating between Takaka and Nelson with two flights offered each day, subject to available traffic. The flights were offered during the summer season. After this the Remote Adventures website continued to advertise that the Nelson flights were available for confirmed bookings with price on application and times by arrangement. The regular service to Nelson did not resume the following summer.

The Nelson timetable, January 2005

In September 2009 Remote Adventures inaugurated a new service between Takaka and Paraparaumu, the company hoping to capitalise on people from the Kapiti Coast and points further north who wanted to visit Golden Bay. Initially two flights a week were offered. On Saturday moernings the Cessna departed Takaka at 7.00am and flew across to Paraparaumu. The return flight left Paraparaumu at 9.00 a.m. On Sundays the flight to Paraparaumu departed at 3.30pm with the return flight to Takaka departing Paraparaumu at 5 p.m.

The Paraparaumu timetable, September 2009

An additional flight Wednesday flight was added from December 2009. This flight left Takaka at 11.00 a.m., arriving at Paraparaumu at noon with the return flight departing Paraparaumu 12.30 p.m. and arriving at Takaka 1.30 p.m. Over the 2009/2010 summer season Remote Adventures operated Cessna 172M Skyhawk ZK-WFS (c/n 17261457) to help cope with the demand.

The leased Cessna 172, ZK-WFS, taken at Takaka in January 2010. 

Once again the scheduled service was operated on demand over the winter but regular flights resumed for the 2010/2011 summer with Saturday morning and Sunday afternoon flights being offered.

The early 2010s saw Remote Adventures continuing to offer scenic flights and flights for trampers from Takaka and Karamea and, after the opening of the Heaphy Track to mountain bikes in May 2011, it also offered flights for mountain bikers and their bikes!

In November 2012 Mit Brererton bought Remote Adventures bringing with him Cessna 185A ZK-MIT (c/n 185-0504). He was reported in the Golden Bay Weekly saying, "he will be running Jim’s business with the express aim of “keeping Jim proud”. “The name will remain the same for this season but next year we’ll change it to Adventure Flights Golden Bay so that the name will help publicise the Bay.”

Remote Adventures Cessna 185 at Masterton on 19 January 2013

Out with the old...

...and in with the new

In 2013 the name was changed to Adventure Flights Golden Bay but the aircraft continue to wear "Operated by Remote Adventures" titles. During the 2013/14 summer season Mit was using Cessna 185 ZK-CGH.

Cessna 185 ZK-CGH at Takaka on 22 January 2014

Adventure Flights Golden Bay continues to operate Cessna 185 ZK-MIT and operate services in support of trampers and mountain bikers on the Heaphy Track, air charter and scenic flights from Takaka, Awaroa, Motueka and Nelson.

Cessna 185 ZK-MIT at Takaka on 14 March 2015...

...and at Nelson on 16 March 2020

The company stopped operating in early 2023 with pilot/owner Mit Brereton relocating out of the Golden Bay area.