One aspect of Sir Edmund Hillary’s character that endeared him to generations of New Zealanders was his willingness to give advice to school children when they phoned him for help with their homework about his exploits, including his conquest of Mt Everest.
A particularly charming story recounted that when a pupil contacted the famous mountaineer and philanthropist one evening, he asked if they would mind ringing back after he had finished his dinner so he would be able to give their questions his full attention.
