Sir Edmund Hillary was passing through Melbourne on his way from New Zealand to receive gold medals as “conqueror of Everest,” from the Royale Geographic Society of South Australia and the Royal Society in Hobart. He will also give lectures in Adelaide and Tasmania. “I think the best tourist possibilities are at McMurdo Sound and the Ross Sea,” he said. “There wouldn’t be more beautiful views anywhere in the world. Adélie penguins marching in step. Credit:Angela Wylie “This isn’t a new idea. The commander of the American Antarctic Force (Rear-Admiral George Dufek) has already suggested there should be an air base there. “You could have a hotel near it.

“There’s no particular virtue in going to the Antarctic now. Any broken-down individual can make the trip. “There’d be no hardship with thermostatically controlled central heating. And in the summer the outside temperature is only about freezing point. “With warm clothes on, you can be comfortable in that temperature. “People could take flights to see the views, and there’d be skiing and mountaineering,” Sir Edmund Hillary said. But he did not want to be in charge of a tourist resort at the Antarctic.

“I wouldn’t like to run a hotel anywhere,” he said. Ice stalactites. Credit:Angela Wylie Sir Edmund Hillary said he had been helping the New Zealand Alpine club with plans to send some mountaineers to the Antarctic this year, but he would not be one of the team. The New Zealand mountaineer and beekeeper has no expeditions under consideration at the moment. He said the Communist Chinese Government had refused to allow him to climb Everest from the north side, and he believed Russians and Chinese would probably tackle this next year.

Experiment “I was primarily planning a physiological experiment on acclimatisation,” he said. “I have always believed that if you were acclimatised properly you could get to the top of Everest (29,002 ft.) without oxygen. “I have climbed to 24,000 feet without oxygen.” Sir Edmund Hillary said he did not think the public would be interested enough to subscribe the £40,000 necessary to equip a physiological expedition to climb Everest along his 1953 route. “I think it should be climbed again,” he said, but would not say whether he wanted to take part in an expedition over this route.

“Offer me £40,000 and I’ll tell you,” he laughed. The stark, icy beauty of Antarctica. Credit:Angela Wylie