The first section of Sir Edmund Hillary's former home was being moved from its Remuera site on Wednesday morning - though the south Auckland school where it will be placed is still trying to cover the costs involved.
Businessman Terry Jarvis, who bought the property last year, has gifted the explorer's house to Sir Edmund Hillary Collegiate in Otara, saving it from demolition.
The school plans to use it as a leadership centre, and says it is a privilege to have the property.
The school's commissioner, Gail Thompson, says it needs to raise about $400,000 to pay for the project, and hopes a fundraising event in June will supplement corporate sponsorship.
The house has been divided into four sections, and the first was placed on a truck on Wednesday morning and being slowly removed from the steep site.
A small contingent of students from the Sir Edmund Hillary Collegiate have had a karakia to mark the event.
