Buzz Aldrin has been discharged from hospital in Christchurch after falling ill on a trip to Antarctica.
Aldrin, 86, the second man to walk on the moon, became sick on a private trip to the South Pole and was flown to New Zealand for treatment.
His manager Christina Korp posted a photo of the smiling former astronaut on Twitter of Friday on a plane.
She farewelled the country, adding that Aldrin hoped to return again "but next time for vacation and not evacuation".
Aldrin became short of breath and began showing signs of altitude sickness on a trip to the South Pole.
He had been advised to rest to allow for fluid on his lungs to clear before flying home where he was wanting to spend Christmas with his family in Florida.
Aldrin had earlier on Friday paid tribute to John Glenn, the second man to orbit the earth, after he died in Ohio aged 95.
: 2016-12-10 08:30:28 | : 1568