Rotorua Daily Post
  • Rotorua Daily Post home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Sport
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Residential property listings
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Rural
  • Sport

Locations

  • Tauranga
  • Te Puke
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Tokoroa
  • Taupō & Tūrangi

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales

Weather

  • Rotorua
  • Tauranga
  • Whakatāne
  • Tokoroa
  • Taupō

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Rotorua Daily Post

Hometown visit for Batten flight

Matthew Martin
By Matthew Martin
Senior reporter, Rotorua Daily Post·Rotorua Daily Post·
18 Nov, 2012 10:30 PM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

The flight path taken by Rotorua's Jean Batten - the first person to fly from England to New Zealand - is being retraced and has made a stop in Rotorua.

Eagle-eyed Rotorua residents did not miss a silver DC3 landing at the Rotorua Airport at the weekend.

The aircraft, named the Jean Batten Clipper, touched down in Rotorua as part of a worldwide adventure retracing the flight path taken by one of Rotorua's most famous exports, Jean Batten, in 1936.

The adventure started on October 25, arrived in New Zealand on November 16 and came to Rotorua on Saturday.

At just 27 years of age, Batten became the first person to fly from England to New Zealand, arriving in Auckland 11 days after taking off from Lympne in Kent, England.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Her route took her to France, Cyprus, Syria, Pakistan, Singapore, Darwin, Sydney and eventually to Auckland.

What was even more remarkable was she did it by herself without modern navigational equipment and in later years, due to her good looks and outgoing personality, she was given the title the "Greta Garbo of the skies".

She was named Hine-o-te-Rangi - Daughter of the Skies - by Te Arawa kaumatua when she visited her home town after her record-breaking flight. She flew the journey in a Percival Gull Six aeroplane which is now on display at Auckland Airport.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

According to the www.dc3-antipodes.com website the, 70-year-old DC3 took off from Lydd in England on October 25 and landed in Auckland on November 16 after flying from Norfolk Island.

Rotorua's Neville Worsley said he felt a touch of nostalgia when he went to see what had landed at Rotorua Airport.

"It was supposed to land here on Thursday but got delayed so I did not expect to see it.

"But I saw it come in about lunchtime so I went down to have a look and got there at the right time to view the aircraft."

Mr Worsley said he used to fly DC3s when he worked for Field Air as a topdressing pilot.

He said he had a lot of respect for Jean Batten in flying solo all the way from England.

"It was quite a feat. These days to fly a 70-year-old aircraft all the way from England is pretty special.

"But for her to do it without the navigation aids we have today was phenomenal. It's like flying by instinct."

Mr Worsley said the DC3 was very well restored and in "A1" condition.

"It's a shame no one really knew about it coming here. It must have been a great adventure."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Save

    Share this article

Latest from Rotorua Daily Post

Rotorua Daily Post

New Rotorua police beat team to tackle 'big' retail crime issues

03 Jul 07:03 AM
Rotorua Daily Post

Heavy rain warnings: BoP acts like 'scoop' for wild weather

02 Jul 09:19 PM
Rotorua Daily Post

Heating or eating a tough call for some after rates rise, says councillor

02 Jul 09:13 PM

There’s more to Hawai‘i than beaches and buffets – here’s how to see it differently

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Rotorua Daily Post

New Rotorua police beat team to tackle 'big' retail crime issues

New Rotorua police beat team to tackle 'big' retail crime issues

03 Jul 07:03 AM

The team comprises five constables and one sergeant, patrolling on foot.

Heavy rain warnings: BoP acts like 'scoop' for wild weather

Heavy rain warnings: BoP acts like 'scoop' for wild weather

02 Jul 09:19 PM
Heating or eating a tough call for some after rates rise, says councillor

Heating or eating a tough call for some after rates rise, says councillor

02 Jul 09:13 PM
Armed police block Rotorua street

Armed police block Rotorua street

02 Jul 09:10 PM
From early mornings to easy living
sponsored

From early mornings to easy living

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Rotorua Daily Post e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Rotorua Daily Post
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP