Abel Tasman beach campaigner prepares for disappointment

The man behind the crowdfunded bid to buy a pristine Abel Tasman beach is preparing himself for disappointment.

A Givealittle campaign to buy the Awaroa Inlet beach by tender was supported by more than 39,000 people who pledged more than $2 million.

The closing date for offers for the 7ha property was 4pm on Tuesday -- and campaign organiser Duane Major said he hoped to hear whether the bid had been accepted or not within five days.

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He had been keeping those who pledged money to buy the beach, which would be gifted to the Crown if negotiations are successful, updated via Facebook, writing yesterday that the scenario was "unprecedented and highly unusual".

"Obviously one scenario ahead is that we simply may not have enough money.

"We have become hugely [in]vested in this, like many of you all. We would be gutted to miss out, but we would like to think we could grieve well, learn, celebrate and become better for it."

He wrote that everyone needed to stay tough through the tender process.

"The negotiation stuff is under way and phone calls and emails are happening.

"Tendering is certainly a precarious process, [and] that's even before you have a public campaign enter it with a media entourage."

He said it was "tricky" to know how much to share as other tenderers were "listening in".

Among the group of men negotiating the tender -- Harcourts chief executive Chris Kennedy, lawyer Geoffrey Harley and Andrew Petersen and Chris Gordon of Bell Gully -- Mr Major said phrases like "We cannot bid what we have not got", "we are dealing with public money" and "integrity is paramount", continued to be used as they ran through "the many changing scenarios".