The Hone Tuwhare Charitable Trust says it is making progress in efforts to raise $500,000 to secure the long term future of the writer's residence in South Otago.
Hone Tuwhare, who is New Zealand's most celebrated Maori poet, lived in a crib (beach cottage) at Kaka Point for more than 16 years before his death in 2008. He was accorded many honours, including being named Te Mata Poet Laureate and was twice Robert Burns Fellow at Otago University.
After he died, the Trust was formed to promote the poet's legacy and it was decided to transform the crib into a writer's residence.
Until now its fundraising efforts had failed to attract enough money to buy the property, but that changed in February 2012 year when the Auckland-based Takutai Trust bought the crib and surrounding land.
Hone Tuwhare Charitable Trust Chairman Matt Shirtcliffe says a lot of effort is going into raising money to renovate the crib to accommodate artists and their needs.
He says the Trust is delighted to have learnt that it will also receive the proceeds from the sale of five works of art which will be offered for sale at the next New Collection Art auction being held in Auckland on 5 March.