N.Z. quake boulder raises $44,000 for charity

A 25-tonne boulder that crashed into a home in the Christchurch earthquake has raised NZ$60,000 ($44,000) in an online charity auction.

"Rocky" the giant rock smashed through the walls of Phil Johnson's hillside home in the February 22 tremor, coming to rest in his hallway.

Johnson put the boulder up for sale on auction website www.trademe.co.nz, attracting more than 300,000 hits and turning his unwanted house guest into an online celebrity.

"For sale, 1 owner, 25-30 tonne landscape feature (answers to the name Rocky)," read his listing for the auction, which ended Monday.

"He is in pristine condition (just a little bit of concrete dust). Suitable for garden feature, or as in our case, a magnificent addition to your living area... Rocky will enhance your 'indoor outdoor' flow considerably."

The winning bidder, a New Zealand ski company, paid NZ$50,000 for "Rocky". Chief executive James Coddington said the firm planned to display the boulder at its Mount Hutt ski resort.

With Johnson donating all proceeds from the sale to a relief fund for quake victims, the second-highest bidder said she would still pay NZ$10,000 because it was going to a good cause, the www.trademe.co.nz operators said.

via ca.news.yahoo.com