'We lost our greatest hero, simple as that'

JOHN SELKIRK

TRIBUTE TIME: Members of New Zealand's Indian community pay their respects around Sir Ed's coffin at Holy Trinity Cathedral.

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They came in their hundreds to farewell New Zealand's greatest adventurer. They wore jandals, homespun jerseys, Bananas in Pyjamas raincoats and pinstripe suits, as Kiwis young and old queued patiently in the rain and muggy weather to celebrate a life lived in pursuit of adventure.

Children stood alongside adventurers, backpackers and lunching businessmen at Holy Trinity Cathedral in Parnell where Sir Edmund Hillary lay in state in the leadup to today's funeral.

While today family members, friends, foreign dignitaries and politicians take centre-stage, yesterday was for the people.

Palmerston North teacher Margaret Whyte arrived at 9am and was the first person in the public queue, braving the relentless rain and wind. As a teacher of five-year-olds, she said she knew the inspirational effect his story had on youngsters. "He was just a wonderful person."

Retired Welsh couple Daniel and Jacky O'Connell popped across the road from their bed and breakfast to pay their respects.

Mr O'Connell said he remembered sitting in a cinema to watch the Queen's coronation and hearing that Sir Ed had conquered Everest. "I always thought he was British - they made such a thing of it."

Hillary family friend Tom Scott said he watched for several hours yesterday as the public filed into the church and "found myself getting incredibly tearful".

Mourners had watched the hearse carrying Sir Ed's casket arrive at the cathedral at 10am yesterday, welcomed by local iwi Ngati Whatua.

It was then carried into the cavernous nave of the cathedral by eight New Zealand Defence Force staff marching in perfect unison. A single drummer tapped out a slow beat as hundreds looked on in silence.

In opening the state funeral for Sir Ed, the Very Rev Ross Bay thanked Lady Hillary and family for "allowing us and the nation to share him with you".

Nepalese friends, from the land where Sir Ed found fame 55 years ago, filed in behind the family, fingertips touching, heads bowed. Wreaths were laid by Governor-General Anand Satyanand, on behalf of the Queen, whose coronation coincided with Sir Ed's ascent of Everest in 1953, Prime Minister Helen Clark and leaders of other political parties.

As dignitaries filed out of the nave, family members gathered around the coffin, seeing the medals laid out at Sir Ed's feet, the ice axe that forged his path to the tip of Everest, a tukutuku ceremonial cane on the coffin near where khata - Nepalese blessing scarves - had been placed, and candles under a portrait of Sir Ed.

Miss Clark was visibly grieving the loss of a man she had grown up hearing about. "We lost our greatest hero, simple as that."

- © Fairfax NZ News