New Zealanders say farewell to heroic Sir Ed
The flag-draped coffin of the first man to climb the world’s highest peak was carried into Auckland’s cathedral by members of the armed forces, as local Maori stood in light rain and delivered a traditional welcome.
Hillary, 88, who died after a heart attack on January 11, was to lie in state for 24 hours to allow the public to bid farewell to New Zealand’s greatest hero — a former beekeeper who became one of the 20th century’s most admired adventurers and humanitarians.
