RAPID JOURNEY

New Zealand Herald, Volume 82, Issue 25160, 24 March 1945, Page 6

RAPID JOURNEY

AUCKLAND TO LONDON MR HOLLAND AND MR DOIDGE (Reed. 5.35 p.m.) 1 LONDON, March 23 A rapid, if rather monotonous, journey across the world brought the leader of the New Zealand National Party, Mr S. G, Holland, and Mr F, W. Doidge to Prestwick, Scotland, 108 hours after leaving Auckland. Flying time totalled 63 and time on land 45 hours.

Leaving Auckland at 9 a.m. on March 18, the travellers walked into an hotel in London at 7.15 p.m. on March 22. It was. said Mr Holland, a remarkably good trip throughout. Flying in a Liberator, they arrived in Fiji at 4 p.m. on March 18 and left at 5 p.m« for Canton Island, where they arrived at midnight. The journey was continued at 1 a.m. and a second Sunday was spent in Honolulu. From 4 a.m. on March 19 they flew until 6 p.m. to San Diego and then took off at midnight on a 14 hours' flight to Mont-real. There they were met by Mr David Wilson, New Zealand High Commissioner. They continued the flight to England in two hops.

On the way to Montreal the aircraft flew at an altitude between 9000 ft and 10,000 ft, but over the Atlantic it went up to 17,000 ft, At various stages of the journey Mr Holland and Mr Doidgo sweltered in tropical heat and once landed on a runway surrounded by Bft of snow. The only inconveniences on the flight, were one period when the heating apparatus went wrong and the temperature in the cabin soared, and once when they could not . shave for two days—minor inconveniences when one recalls conditions in sailing ships not so many years ago.