Jean Batten Back In Christchurch

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32233, 27 February 1970, Page 2

Jean Batten Back In Christchurch

“Coining back to New Zealand makes me feel like Alice in Wonderland —all my dreams of so long ago have come true,” Miss Jean Batten said in Christchurch today.

The pioneer New Zealand airwoman still holds the solo record she set in 1936 from England to Australia (5 days 21 hours) for a singleengined aircraft She still looks young enough and fit enough to do it again. “It was wonderful to fly over my old route to New Zealand in a modern passenger aircraft, after all these years," she said. “I always hoped my flight would be the forerunner of regular passenger services.” The slim, vivacious 60-year-old, who would pass for 40, calls herself a very lucky woman. “1 have always been lucky—particularly fortunate tn have lived to see the day when man set foot on the moon,” she added.

Jean Batten has changed from the rather tense, highlystrung girl, who lived for breaking flight records In the

19305. She is now a relaxed, happy woman, warm-hearted and outgoing, living for the moment.

Perhaps this has something to do with residing in the Spanish island of Tenerife, swimming every day, enjoying the sunshine, absorbing the “manana” attitude and the “siesta” habit of the Spanish people. With her mother she lived in Spain for about five years before visiting the tourist resort in the Canary Islands. “We were having a holiday at Tenerife when my mother died at nearly 90,” she said. “I went back there to live because I feel closer to my mother in Tenerife than anywhere else.” Tenerife has another attraction. The cost of living is still comparatively low. “Money has never meant everything to me,” Miss Batten said. “1 am not wealthy and that is why I have not returned to New Zealand sooner,” she said. When her father, Mr F. H. Batten, died he left her a legacy.

“I thought 1 would buy a new car,” she said. “Then I was suddenly invited to London by the Royal Aero Club

and B.P. to be present at the start of the recent England to Australia Air Race, with Sir Francis Chichester. ‘‘The sales were on in London so I set out on a shopping spree. But 1 noticed an airline office across the street and went over to look at the posters in the window. On the spur of the moment 1 decided to go to New Zealand to see all the young Battens I had never met, instead of buying a new car.” Now she has become an adoring aunt. “I am very pleased with all my young relatives,” she said. “One of the girls has followed my father’s profession (dentistry) and it training to be a school dental nurse."

Miss Batten believes in the potential of the world’s youth. They get bad publicity because of the few noisy failures, She said.

“In many ways the young today are much sounder than they were in my generation,” she said. “They have a great capacity to study and absorb things. This is important for those bom in the air age and are now coming into the space age.”