Good keen buyers expected to be out in force to land this bugger

Bugger. That's what might come to mind if you miss out on one of the most sought after number plates in many years.

A fundraising effort will see rights to the personalised plate BUGGER auctioned off to the highest bidder next month.

Those behind the auction - the New Zealand Transport Agency and Personalised Plates - hope to raise funds to help Surf Life Saving NZ.

NZTA chief Geoff Dangerfield said it was a unique way to help a Kiwi charity.

"People love their personalised plates and we know there'll be a good market for this one - which will be great news for our friends at Surf Life Saving NZ."

The initiative comes on the back of the popular television advertisements for the Toyota Hilux, which ran in the late 1990s.

The advert featured a man and his dog undertaking various tasks on a farm, all of which ended in disaster.

One scene showed him tying rope onto the back of his vehicle and then to a tree stump in a bid to wrestle the it out of the ground. As the vehicle pulled the stump, the stump launched itself towards an outside toilet, destroying it.

In each scene, the man said: "Bugger."

The auction for the plate will take place via the Trade Me website and will run from May 12 to 14.

Surf Life Saving head Paul Dalton said they were grateful for the support. "We're sure there will be many Kiwis out there wanting to get their hands on it and we hope they dig deep in support of Surf Life Saving New Zealand so our volunteer lifeguards can continue their great work of helping to make our beaches a safer place for all to enjoy."