The Summits for Ed Tribute Tour gets under way in Bluff on March 25 and will continue for nearly four weeks, stopping in towns along the way, where members of the public will be invited to climb to the summit of a local hill.
The climb to the summit will be followed by a brief ceremony to mark Sir Edmund and his work.
People who participate in the climbs are being asked to bring a small rock, stone or pebble from their favourite place, which can be engraved or personalised if they choose.
These little pieces of New Zealand will then be incorporated into a memorial cairn at Mt Ruapehu, where a teenage Sir Edmund first discovered his love of the mountains.
Queenstown's tribute climb will take place on the morning of Wednesday, March 26, on Queenstown Hill.
Sir Edmund Hillary Foundation chairman Rupert Wilson and Bev Smith, from the Tongariro Sir Edmund Hillary Outdoor Pursuits Centre, make up the advance party for the tour, visiting towns ahead of summit climb dates to publicise the events and get as many people as possible involved from schools and the wider community. Mayors and councillors will also attend in each town.
In Queenstown earlier this week, Mr Wilson said it was about the community ‘‘coming together'' to farewell Sir Edmund.
The tour will finish at Cape Reinga on April 19, with a service that will be attended by Lady Hillary and her family.
Mr Wilson said although many New Zealanders watched Sir Edmund's funeral broadcast on television, they had not been directly affiliated with the service, so the tribute tour would therefore give ordinary people the chance to contribute on a personal level to his farewell.
The meeting point for Queenstown's Summit for Ed next Wednesday is at the Belfast Tce car park and the walk to the summit of Queenstown Hill is expected to take about 45 minutes. - Donations to the Hillary Foundation can also be made to Lions Club collectors or via the website www.summitsfored.org.nz
