The Awaroa Beach is now officially part of the Abel Tasman National Park.

A beach bought after a massive crowdfunding campaign which united thousands of Kiwis has officially become part of Abel Tasman National Park, with the handover heralded as "a victory for positive people power".

At a ceremony on Sunday afternoon, Awaroa Beach became part of the Department of Conservation's (DoC) estate.

In January, Christchurch men Duane Major and Adam Gard'ner launched a crowdfunding campaign to buy the beach for all New Zealanders to enjoy, following fears it could slip into private hands.

MARTIN DE RUYTER / FAIRFAX NZ Barney Thomas from DOC hongis with Duane Major at the Awaroa Beach gifting celebration in Abel Tasman National Park.

Almost 40,000 donors pledged more than $2 million to help buy the beach, with Stuff also pledging $20,000.

READ MORE:

* A day alone at Awaroa Bay

* What did we buy? What's at Awaroa Bay?

* A campaign in pictures: How NZ ended up buying Awaroa beach

* #BuyThisBeachNZ

MARTIN DE RUYTER / FAIRFAX NZ Duane Major, left and Adam Gard'ner at the Awaroa Beach gifting celebration in Abel Tasman National Park.

The sale of the seven-hectare property with 800 metres of pristine coastline was confirmed at the end of February, with the Government putting in $350,000 and the Joyce Fisher Charitable Trust giving $250,000.

This brought the final sale price to $2.8m.

Associate Conservation Minister Nicky Wagner said the beach's addition to Abel Tasman National Park was "a special day for New Zealand".

MARTIN DE RUYTER / FAIRFAX NZ Crowds gather at the Awaroa Beach gifting celebration in Abel Tasman National Park.

"It's a victory for positive people power and for preserving our environment.

"All those who contributed have given a wonderful gift to our nation."

Wagner said the beach was now protected forever, with public access guaranteed.

MARTIN DE RUYTER Adam Gard'ner, left and Duane Major celebrate on the beach.

NATIVE SPECIES REPLANTED

Major and Gard'ner had "inspired New Zealanders to give and together fulfil the dream of taking the property out of private hands and into public ownership", Wagner said.

DoC had spoken to the pair, as well as local iwi and other organisations, about how the newest part of the national park would be managed.

VIRGINIA WOOLF / FAIRFAX NZ Awaroa Beach has officially become part of Abel Tasman National Park at a handover ceremony.

The beach's sand dune ecology would be restored, while weeds would be cleared and native species replanted to improve the habitat the area provided for coastal birds like oystercatchers, dotterel and godwits.

"New Zealanders can be proud that they rallied together to raise the funds to buy this beach for all to enjoy as public land," Wagner said.

Stuff.co.nz Nelson Mail reporter Adele Redmond took a mid-winter trip to the recently publicly acquired Awaroa beach in the Abel Tasman.