a flight to Sydney in her Gipsy Moth the next day. The journey took a week, with a delay in Queensland due to engine trouble. At each stop along the way, she was greeted by well-wishers and received telegrams, in addition to those she had received while at Darwin. It was during this trip that she gave an interview in which she announced her engagement to Walter, much to his displeasure as he then had to deal with reporters. She later wrote to him stating it was "good publicity". Wakefield, keen to capitalise on the publicity, arranged for an escort airplane to accompany her and the Gipsy Moth was emblazoned with a Castrol sticker. He also encouraged Batten to maintain a high profile. When Batten flew into Sydney on 30 May, a flight of 20 aircraft met her over the city's harbour before she landed at Mascot aerodrome. A crowd of 5,000 was present to greet her. Several public engagements followed for the next four weeks during which she was hosted at the expense of the Australian Government. Wakefield soon gave her £1,000, although this was never publicly acknowledged by Batten. Acquaintances she met during this time noted her self-centred nature, and Nancy Bird, a well-known pilot of the 1930s, considered Batten to be a "prima donna". New Zealand tour As her aircraft did not have the range to cross the Tasman Sea, Batten travelled to New Zealand by ship. The Gipsy Moth was shipped over at the expense of the Union Steam Ship Company. As in Australia, large crowds turned out to greet her and she was the guest of honour at numerous civic receptions. She also received a grant of £500 from the New Zealand Government, which hosted her at Government House for a time. She toured the country, giving people the opportunity to take £1 joyrides in her Gipsy Moth and giving paid lectures. In her home town of Rotorua, she was made an honorary rangitane (chieftainess) by Te Arawa, the local Māori iwi (tribe). In her various public appearances, Batten regularly paid tribute to her mother. When Batten arrived at Darwin to end her record flight, one of her first acts was to send a telegram to Ellen. It read: "Darling, we've done it. The aeroplane, you, me". Ellen joined her daughter in touring New Zealand, having travelled there by steamship. Shortly after her arrival, she