ON FIRST STAGE OF NOVEL HOLIDAY

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 226, 20 June 1936, Page 10

ON FIRST STAGE OF NOVEL HOLIDAY

Chichester and Herrick

ACROSS THREE-QUARTERS OF GLOBE BY AIR

Dominion Special Service.

Auckland, June 19.

Two New Zealanders, Messrs. F. C. Chichester, the well-known aviator, of Wellington, and F. D. Herrick, of Hastings, noted for his breeding of pedigree sheep and cattle, left by the Wangtoiella for Sydney Ibis evening to start a novel holiday which will take them three-quarters of the way across the globe in a Puss Moth. Final plans for the flight were made in Auckland to-day. Mr. Herrick arrived in Auckland yesterday after motoring up from Hawke’s Bay, and Mr. Chichester arrived by the Limited express from Wellington this morning. Their machine, a Gipsy Major Puss Moth, was finally tested at. Hobsonvillq this week, and this morning was packed and transported to the wharf. This afternoon-it was loaded into the Wauganella. As soon as the air tourists arrive in Sydney they will have their plane assembled, and they hope to leave on the first stage of their tour about four days after arrival at Sydney. Mr. Herrick intends to inspect two cattle stations in Australia, and then the flyers will leave for the East Indies.

The route to be followed is an interesting one. From Sydney the airmen will cross Australia and proceed through the Dutch East Todies, Celebes and Borneo to Singapore. Thence they will traverse Siam and French IndoChina, and fly by way of Hankow and Peking across , China Io Harbin in Manchukuo. If the Japanese authorities cavil at letting them enter Maucliukuo they will get out across the lonely stretches of the Gobi Desert. They will cross the whole wide expanse of Asiatic Russia by Syretensk, Yeniseisk and Tobolsk to Archangel on the White Sea. They will tour Scandinavia and northern Europe by air until they reach Lausanne in Switzerland, where Mr. Herrick has an appointment. After that they will go to London.

They expect to spend about three months on the trip, loitering in those countries that please them and.changing their plans as it suits them. Beyond London they have uo definite ideas, but they will certainly come back to New Zealand, probably by air.

Mr. Chichester mentioned that the Prime Minister had sent word to the High Commissioner, Sir James Parr, to arrange for a request to be made that every facility be given the New Zealanders to visit Russia. Mr. Herrick was particularly anxious to study farming systems there. This afternoon both men supervised the loading of their machine into .the Wanganella.