11 January 2008

Tribute to a man who embodied the spirit of New Zealand

Sir Edmund Hillary was a man who embodied the spirit of New Zealand, Green Party Co-Leader Jeanette Fitzsimons says.

"I met Sir Ed on several occasions and admired him tremendously," Ms Fitzsimons says. "I, like so many other New Zealanders, looked up to him as an inspiration. He embodied the things that we are proud of. He was not just a great mountaineer, he gave back so much to the people of Nepal with his work in education and health, and he ably represented New Zealand to the rest of the world.

"He also embodied the spirit of Kiwi ingenuity. It was his idea to save a monastery from falling down a cliff with meshed number eight fencing wire instead of concrete and steel. Unlike the engineers, he understood that all the materials had to be carried in on the backs of sherpas.

"Sir Ed lived a long, happy and fulfilling life and at the age of 88 had achieved so much. I am sure he passed on without leaving regrets about things he did not do." "I wish to convey the condolences of the Green Party to Lady Hillary and the rest of their family," Ms Fitzsimons says.

ENDS

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