Rena trips offered to highest bidder

What do you do with a helicopter when you're not using it?

Resolve marine salvage master Frank Leckey has decided to donate flights over the Rena to be auctioned off by charities.

The company working on the Rena salvage has donated two flights for four to KidsCan to auction on Trade Me.

KidsCan is a national charity dedicated to alleviating child poverty.

The winning bidders will get a trip out over the Rena with one of the salvage masters providing commentary and a spin around Mauao and Motiti Island.

Mr Leckey said the idea came to him while he and the other salvors were doing the KidsCan Santa run around Mauao. Pilot John Fennell volunteered to donate the fuel if Mr Leckey donated the helicopter time.

"Seeing as we're paying for the chopper why not donate it when we're not using it," Mr Leckey said. "I think the chopper ride is a good thing for them to auction off. I will go with them and explain [about the Rena salvage operation]."

KidsCan marketing executive Brie Tawhai said the offer came out of the blue but the charity was thrilled to be able to auction off the trips.

"It was a bit of a random thing really. But really cool in the Christmas season," she said.

"What you do is you meet at the Tauranga base where they take off and fly to the Astrolabe Reef and you fly over what's left and you fly over with a guy working there daily."

There would also be some great photo opportunities around Motiti Island and Mauao, she said.

The auctions close at noon on Friday and bidding yesterday sat at about $20 for each of the trips.

All funds from the auction go to KidsCan.

KidsCan was founded in 2005 and today supports the education of over 46,000 disadvantaged New Zealand children in 237 low decile schools nationwide.

Visit www.Trade Me.co.nz/stores/kidscan to bid on the flights.