Bids in an auction for a rusty tractor rocketed to more than $230,000 last night.
Bidders were drawn by the 8.1ha farm which comes free with the winner of the Trade Me auction for the tractor, listed spontaneously by a Southland couple last Thursday.
In a "tired" moment last week, Gore-based Shelley and Allan Holland put their old red tractor up for sale with a $1 reserve - with the farm in the Catlins, valued at $260,000, thrown in.
Bidding took off after the auction gained media attention, climbing from $100,000 on Friday morning.
Joint owner Shelly Holland, who has spent the weekend replying to a barrage of questions on the free property, said the unorthodox sale was her husband Allan's idea.
"I have no idea how we ended up listing it for $1. I put it down to tiredness."
With the bidding close to the value of the farm, she said "the nerves had settled a bit".
She said they were so overwhelmed by the support they had received, and daunted by the amount of money they would receive, that they would give $10,000 from the sale to charity.
Trade Me spokesman Michael O'Donnell said the Hollands were legally obligated to sell the property to the highest bidder.
Trade Me had made an agreement with the couple to give their success fee of $150 to charity.
$1 tractor with farm thrown in
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