Following the 1953 conquest of Mount Everest, Sir Edmund Hillary and fellow New Zealand climber George Lowe arrive in Auckland. In this National Film Unit newsreel they alight from a flying boat to a hero's welcome from the Kiwi public. After a further welcome in Hillary's hometown of Papakura, Sir Edmund is interviewed by his brother Rex. He muses about the last challenging step on Everest (soon to be named Hillary's Step) and the suitability of the Southern Alps as preparation for — to paraphrase Sir Ed — knocking the bastard off.