Jean Batten, New Zealand's Heroine Pilot

 At Auckland airport on New Zealand's North Island, you see a statue of Jean Batten. The statue is in front of the airport's Novotel hotel. 

A plaque on the ground in front of her statue describes her life and achievements. She made record solo flights from England to Australia and back, and from England to New Zealand and back. Plus other record breaking flights including one to South America. Each journey consisted of several hops from one country to the next whereh she stopped to re-fuel, sometimes crash landed due to bad weather, and had to replace bits of her plane.

Her plane is suspended overhead in Auckland Airport, which has a terminal named after her. She is also honoured in her New Zealand birthplace of Rotorua.

Jean Batten statue at Auckland Airport. North Island. New Zealand. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

Jean Batten. Plaque at Auckland Airport. North Island. New Zealand. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

She lived from 1909 to 1982. She is quoted as saying, 

I was destined to be a wanderer. I seemed born to travel. 

In flying I found speed and freedom to roam the earth.

Picture from Jean Batten article in Wikipedia.

A few days after I arrived in New Zealand, I travelled by car from Auckland to Napier, the art deco city, which was rebuilt after the earthquake.

At the Masonic Art Deco Hotel I stayed in the Jean Batten bedroom suite.

Useful Websites include

https://www.nzhalloffame.co.nz/New-Zealand-Sports-Hall-of-Fame-Inductees/B/Jean-Batten

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Jean_Batten

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean_Batten

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Jean_Batten#/media/File:Jean_Batten's_Percival_Gull.jpg

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Planning a trip to Vietnam, north or south or both?

Fascinating country. Just as the UK had Boadicea fighting the Romans, and Elizabeth I, Vietnam has its female military heroines, including two sisters.

In modern times the country was split between the communists backed by the Russians in the North, and the American-backed regime in the South.

The Chinese influenced the language before the Roman alphabet was adopted. Also expect to see noodle soup. China is the northern neighbour, which explains the past influence and invasions, as well as the modern business influence and incoming tourists.

The French left behind their breakfast habits of coffee and bread.

The temperature varies from north to south.
Christmas is a good time to go if you don't want the weather too hot, too cold or too wet.

Problems
A What will it cost?
B How long need I go?
C Which sights should be on my list?
D Which ones should be my priority?
E Can I combine my trip with the capital of Cambodia, or Laos?

A One price quotation I saw was for 10 days, about US$1000, per person, sharing, with dinners, not flights from the USA, but includes internal flights. Various extras such airport /country taxes and evening dinners - might be some museum entry fees. Extras for single person room or upgrade of hotel.
B
C The capital, Hanoi. In the North. to east to the coast.
Fly south to
The old capital, Hue.
See the city of lanterns.
Ho Chi Minh City. See the mausoleum of Ho Chi Minh, big, solid, square; you might see only the outside depending on the time of year.)
The tiny tunnels with narrow entrances, used by the ultra-slim communists invading the South.

The famous rocks in the water -

D Choose your favourites. Mine are:
Crazy House
Bottle Temple

Sources
tripadvisor
vietnam tourist board
wikitravel
wikivoyage

Author
Angela Lansbury