A GREAT ORDEAL

Grey River Argus, 17 October 1936, Page 7

A GREAT ORDEAL

Aviatrix Exhausted VERY GLAD TO SEE LAND. (Per Press Association). AUCKLAND, October 16. Miss Batten, whose exhaustion was shown in the manner in wh ch -she staggered occasionally when a hand was put out from tire, crowd to touch or clasp her hand,, granted no interviews at the aerodrome. However, her comments to varmim members of the club and to SquadronL. M. Isitt showed a glimpse

of the terrible.! ordeal which sho had endured. DID NOT SEE “THE” MoUNTAIP “I cannot tell you how pleased I was to sight Bell Block at New Plymouth,” she Siae.d, in reply to oneinquiry. “I could nipt see. Mount Egmont at all. It iwas nine hours twentv minutes from R'chmond. Richmond is 30 miles inland from Mascot.” SKIMMED THE WAVES. At stages of the journey, her plane had been battered by rainstorms, and apparently, at times it was practi eally on the surface of the sea. Th< numerals and letters on the, side of her machine were practical y ob itmatep when it arrived here. She said in answer to a question, that it wa* sea spray th.it had caused It. MANGERE TOO LITTLE. “What a little place this is bland in.” she. su'd. “When I saw th field, T very' nearly turner] back 1' Svdnev! My p’ane requires 210 yard, runway. However. I managed i> J 1 i-ght. '.'l’though I thought T was going to knock down one or two men in the field.”

WOULD TACKLE IT ANY DAY !

■When a woman,, in liand'ng MisBatten a cup of tea. remarked agahi on the anxiety which New Zealanders had felt for her safely, she sat and laughed. “T cannot understand th:’ anxietv in New Zealand.” she said. “Tn Australia.. they thought noth’-' of it. I would sooner any day fly th-Ta-nian -n my p’anc than T won d Ik Timor Sea in my old fifth-hand PusMoth. If it- w<ve .just a hop across to New Zealand., I would tackle iany dav in the week, but after the flight from England I was very tired.” She repeated again; “I cannot tell vou how pleased I was to r*ee Bel Block.” Mis-i Batten had again to show herself to the crowd beforo she loft the clubhouse. i