As the finishing touches are being put to Pukehina Surf Rescue’s new building, an auction is about to take place that could mark the end of fundraising.

The club is set to auction a unique, portable home called The Motu to raise funds for the completion of the clubhouse.

The custom-built Motu home, featuring a single bedroom, bathroom and kitchen, would be ideal as a bach, sleepout, or Airbnb cabin and will be auctioned on Trade Me.

Club and building committee chairman Andrew McDowell said work on the tiny home was ongoing and it would be finished in time for the auction, scheduled for late February.

The building is now in the surf club carpark.

Pukehina Surf Rescue club and building committee chairman Andrew McDowell in the new observation tower.

“It’s nearing completion. We’ve put it in the carpark just so people have got a hint of what it’s going to look like and it’s been gathering some good momentum down there.

“We are hopeful we’ll get really solid bidding and the club can make a bit of money out of it.”

Anyone interested in having a look through the building can contact the club to arrange a time.

Fundraising plan

McDowell, who owns Kiwi Country Construction, has spearheaded the initiative and personally built the tiny home during weekends and after work.

“The idea for building The Motu for auction came from desperation,” he said.

“I had to come up with a plan to raise more funds, and building is what I know. My time and effort on this project is my donation to the club.

“This bach is manageable for me to build, and I believe we all need to have a social conscience. It’s about giving back to our community.”

The Motu cabin is being auctioned to raise funds for the new build.

The Motu home is valued at $120,000-$130,000. Bay of Plenty House Removals has offered to cover relocation expenses to an approved site within the Bay of Plenty area. The winning bidder will have the opportunity to choose the exterior paint colour, applied before delivery.

Proceeds from the auction will fund the clubhouse’s third and final phase, including the installation of cabinetry, shelving, power points, floor coverings, and internal paint.

The operational parts of the new building have been in use throughout the summer.

McDowell hoped the auction would raise enough to allow completion of the clubhouse.

“The last couple of months, because a lot of people have been putting a lot of mahi in trying to finish the club ourselves and we’ve had working bees and things, and cutting deals, we’ve actually saved quite a lot of money.”

Money from a black-tie fundraiser was set aside for soft furnishings.

“But there’s always plenty to put into a club, like shelving and other types of furnishings, so the money [from the auction] will be more than likely going to go into those nice to have versus the wants or needs.”

Already tested

Roughly half the new building has been in use over the summer — with the finishing touches now being put on the social areas.

“We are very close to finishing. The tower is operational, and we’ve had hundreds of people going through it to look at the new view because it is incredible.”

So far it has been an “exceptionally busy” summer at the beach.

“I think because people have realised we’ve got a bona fide surf club there now with nice toileting and so forth. It’s really becoming a place to go.”

Despite this, there have been no major rescues.

“It’s really just been business as usual, a few minor first aids and plenty of preventative actions, but we haven’t had to do any high-end rescues, thankfully.

“The behaviour of most people on the beach has been wonderful. There haven’t been any major anti-social things going on down there.”

As with many Bay of Plenty beaches, there have been several shark sightings.

Lifeguards now have a view towards the Waihi Estuary entrance.

“The weather conditions have been so good. The sharks have always been there, we’ve just been able to spot them a bit more easily.”

The new observation tower is now so much higher than the old one, and Andrew thinks that may have contributed to more sightings.

“We are so high up out of the water now in the tower, anything that moves through the flags, you see it.”

Pukehina Surf Club

Lifeguard numbers have been good this summer. The junior surf programme has been “going great guns” and the competition side, under head coach Boyd Harris, has boomed.

“We’re doing extremely well in that area with participation. The kids are really getting into it this year.”

The club hosts the annual Harris Cup Carnival on February 8, a competition that brings together Pukehina Beach, Ōpōtiki, Whakatāne, Maketū and Waihī Surf Life Saving Clubs.

The carnival is named in honour of Selwyn Harris, who established the surf lifesaving base at Pukehina.

The club’s old building was opened in 1997. It was removed in March 2023. Work on the new building began in September that year.