I think the really good mountaineer is the man with the technical ability of the professional and with the enthusiasm and freshness of approach of the amateur.

No one remembers who climbed Mount Everest the second time.

I had never experienced anything like it before and I don't think I have experienced anything like it since [on Ruapehu]. It was my dreams coming true in a way, and from there on I tended to become more of a doer than a dreamer.

It is not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves.

Waihi Beach. It's a lovely beach, and we're right on the shore and I get a lot of pleasure out of waking up in the morning and hearing the waves roll in.

As a youngster I was a great dreamer, reading many books of adventure and walking lonely miles with my head in the clouds.

With practice and focus, you can extend yourself far more than you ever believed possible.