ZK-MDZ at NZHK

Ben from Wilderness Wings captured this Cessna 207 ZK-MDZ (c/n 20700171) at Hokitika yesterday (21-02-2015).

 This Cessna 207 Skywagon comes with a lengthy history that runs something like this. 

It was built as N1571U and sent to Australia and allocate VH-UBR. This was not taken up and it became VH-GKU for a period before heading up to Papua New Guinea as P2-GKU. It was re-registered as P2-SEB in 1976 with Talair (Pty) Ltd at Goroka. 

On 01-05-1984 it returned to Australia to become VH-GKZ with R Lucas of Mount Gravatt in Queensland. It soon moved over to Kununarra in West Australia with Kimberley Air Charter. It then had a period off the register before re-appearing with James Chenault at Lightning Ridge, NSW in 1990, and finally with Kakadu Air Service Pty Ltd at Jabiru, Northern Territory from 13-05-1991.

It had an event at Jabiru in Northern Territory in October of 1999 and it was stored at Batchelor for some time before it was rebuilt.

I am not sure how it arrived in being shipped to NZ in its damaged condition to undergo a rebuilt at Whangarei by Northland Aviation for Salt Air Ltd.
This rebuild used parts from the Cessna 207 ZK-DAX which had been involved in a mid air collision with Cessna 207 ZK-DQF back on 30-12-1989. 
It was registered as ZK-SAL4 on 23-11-2004 to Salt Air Ltd at Paihia, with an ownership change to MDR Aviation Ltd at North Shore City on 11-09-2009.

It was re-registered as ZK-MDZ on 28-10-2009 and went to Flight Hauraki Ltd on 15-03-2010.