Motukaraka Island is still for sale after tenders received were rejected by the seller.
Motukaraka Island is still for sale after tenders received were rejected by the seller.
An island at the centre of the crowdfunding campaign is still for sale after offers received were rejected by the seller.
Northland woman Ana Sarich, of Ngati Tupoto descent, set up a GoFundMe account so people could pitch in to buy Motukaraka Island, in the Hokianga Harbour, so it couldbe turned into a public reserve.
Tenders for the island, which is being sold by Bayleys, closed at 2pm yesterday. However, it is still on the market as none of the three tender amounts were acceptable to the vendor.
Ms Sarich, who lives on the Gold Coast, said the island was also a wahi tapu (sacred place) which is why local hapu Ngai Tupoto were keen to see it turned into a public reserve.
She said the 14.16ha island, which has a CV of $85,000, was the site of a battle and when warriors died, their bodies were left on the island.
The GoFundMe page has raised $26,230 so far, including a $15,000 donated by an anonymous businessman.
Ms Sarich was inspired to create the page after $2 million was raised in a Givealittle campaign last year to buy 7ha of private beach at Awaroa Inlet, which was then made part of Abel Tasman National Park.
If someone else is successful in buying Motukaraka Island that money will be held and potentially used for other historic sites in the Hokianga Harbour.
