A Christchurch man started the crowd-funding campaign to buy the private beach and gift it to New Zealand.

There are a number of properties located along the beach.

There are a number of properties located along the beach.

There are a number of properties located along the beach.

A bach is one of the three basic structures along with the Awaroa Inlet in the Abel Tasman.

There are a number of properties located along the beach.

There are a number of properties located along the beach.

The beach is on the Awaroa Inlet in Abel Tasman.

The next step is for the Department of Conservation to decide how this beach fits into its national park management plan.

New Zealanders have raised more than $248,000 and counting in a bid to buy a private beach for sale in the Abel Tasman National Park, but they will still be competing with strong interest from overseas buyers, says its sale agent.

Kiwis have quickly taken to a Givealittle page which is raising funds to put an offer towards a private beach in the Awaroa Inlet worth $2 million. If the money is raised and the offer accepted, campaign organisers Duane Major and Adam Gard'ner will gift the beach to New Zealand for public use.

Although the campaign has been popular among Kiwis, Bayleys sales agent Glenn Dick said interest from private overseas buyers and New Zealanders was still coming in daily.

The owners of the private beach did not want to comment on the sale but Dick said they thought the crowd-funding campaign was "pretty amazing".

"I hope the campaign gives a great run for its money. It's a great initiative," he said.

Pledges have poured in since the Givealittle page was made on Friday, averaging around a $50,000 increase each day.

supplied A Christchurch man has started a crowd-funding campaign to buy a private beach and gift it to New Zealand.

Tourist guide company Wilsons Abel Tasman chief executive Darryl Wilson said the beach was a "dynamic" property because of the surrounding moving tides. He said about 10 years ago the sand spit at the top of the beach was covered in water. The tide had since moved out again.

"Sometimes you'll have more beach than other times. But that's the beauty of the place," he said.

"Now is a good time for it to be on the market."

Many people still used the beach while boating around the Awaroa Inlet, despite it being private, he said.

"It's a critical part of the Awaroa experience for people."

He thought the campaign was a good idea and intended to pledge some of his own money towards it.

Major and Gard'ner, both from Christchurch, started the Givealittle Page on Friday where they appealed to the public for donations.

Major was overwhelmed by the fast response from Kiwis.

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"It's insane, I don't know what I expected but I just wanted to do the right thing," Major said.

The idea for the campaign arose from a Christmas day discussion between Major and Gard'ner, also from Christchurch.

"We often have a lot of banter and our conversation moved onto the crazy property market and this beautiful piece of land," he said.

"We sort of had this 'I will if you will' conversation."

Major, who is a youth worker, had visited the beach on a number of occasions both through his work and with his own family with four children.

A couple of weeks later Major saw a friend post a picture of the beach on Facebook - he decided to take the plunge and start the campaign.

"It's a vision for New Zealand - this gives us an opportunity to press a button and express that, instead of watching the big things happen," he said.

"We can't afford a bach but we say our bach is the Abel Tasman."

The private property spans 800 metres on land only accessible by air or boat. It has riparian rights.

If more than $2 million is raised for the beach by the campaign's February 15 deadline, and the offer is accepted, Major said he will give the beach to a public organisation or a trust to put it to public use.

He said the Department of Conservation (DOC) had expressed interest in the property, and he would consider gifting it to them if he was successful.

"I don't mind as long as our principal is protected for everyone forever," he said.

His Facebook and Givealittle pages have also had many comments from the public applauding Major's idea.

"I don't know them from a bar of soap - but I feel somehow connected to them through this," he said.

One Givealittle pledger wrote: "Good on you for your work here. In a time where a lot of our country is going to the highest bidder I really hope you can work a miracle here and keep a beautiful part of NZ available for the public."

The pledge sums have been across the board with some people donating upwards of $1000 each.

Major said he had confirmed with Givealittle that the money donated will not be paid out until the tender has been won.

Bayleys salesman Glenn Dick said in December there had been interest from both New Zealand and overseas buyers for the property.

The beach has three buildings - a one-room cabin, a "basic converted wool shed" and an old fishing vessel.

Dick said the owners of the property were selling up because they had other projects around the world to focus on.

"They've enjoyed their time with it and it's time to move on," he said in December.