KEY POINTS:
It's not hard to imagine how Sir Edmund Hillary would have reacted to all the hullabaloo that has followed his death. He would have assented - graciously reluctantly - to the need for a state funeral, and he probably would have enjoyed poring over at least some of the millions of words that have been written in his honour, particularly the reminiscences of those who were good friends in his lifetime.
But he would have had little time for many of the proposals being made to commemorate him - in particular the idea of a public holiday in his name. He would have probably described it as "not a very satisfactory suggestion" or somesuch, though his private view of the proposal, made by Green Party co-leader Jeanette Fitzsimons and others might have been somewhat blunter.
It's difficult to think of a more inappropriate way to remember a man of action than taking a day off. The cost to the country in lost economic activity makes the idea even more bizarre. Virtually from the moment he completed the descent of Everest, Ed devoted his life to adding value, to maximising the potential income from his fame so he could support a variety of ventures in the Himalayas.
Tellingly, two thirds of respondents to a Herald online poll wanted people to support Ed's favourite charities rather than establish a holiday in his name. But a more logical memorial here would be to name our largest airport in his honour. Many hundreds of airports around the world are named after local luminaries. Many are or were tinpot dictators, but there are few indeed who have a greater claim to the honour than our Ed. He was our most restless adventurer. To attach his name to the place where travellers arrive and depart would be a fitting tribute.
