Ski operator wins boulder auction with $50,000 bid

6:49 am on 8 March 2011

A boulder that crashed through a Christchurch house in February's earthquake has been sold on internet auction site TradeMe for $50,000.

Rocky, as the 30-tonne boulder has become known, attracted worldwide attention after it crashed through Phil Johnson's garage and into his house in Heathcote Valley on 22 February.

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All money from the sale on TradeMe will go to the Red Cross appeal.

Rocky's new owner is NZ Ski, which operates the Mt Hutt, Coronet Peak and the Remarkables ski areas.

Fundraising for Christchurch has so far reached $43 million, with the main appeals coming from the Red Cross, the Salvation Army, banks and the Government.

The money is mounting up fast from online donations, bucket appeals on the street and the proceeds of cake and produce stalls.

The Red Cross appeal has raised $19 million, the ANZ and National Bank appeal stands at $3.9 million, and the Salvation Army appeal at $6.2 million.

At the weekend, Lotto raised $8.2 million from the proceeds of its Saturday night draw.

The Government's fundraiser [http//:christchurchearthquakeappeal.govt.nz]Christchurch Earthquake Appeal has raised more than $6 million.

Cakes raise thousands

The organiser of Auckland's Great Kiwi Bake-Off says more than $8000 was collected in less than three hours.

Glenn Browne used the internet to rally Aucklanders, asking them to buy, bake or donate to the event, saying all profits would go to the Red Cross earthquake appeal.

Mr Browne says thousands of cakes were delivered to the central Auckland train station on Monday and they raised $8210.

He says he hopes to raise even more from a wedding cake auction which will appear on internet auction site TradeMe from Tuesday.