At first glance beachgoers at Ruakaka may have thought a large lizard was on the loose when Greg Maddox turned up.
The 2 metre-long monitor lizard with a long neck, powerful tail, sharp claws and well-developed limbs looked at home in the white sandy environment. The lizards, which can reach up to 3m in length, are native to Africa, Asia and Oceania.
But take a closer look and the changing colours of the skin are actually different coloured pieces of driftwood carefully pieced together by sculptor Maddox.
A post on a Bream Bay Facebook page featuring the lizard exploring Ruakaka Beach also attracted a lot of comments, with people querying the ownership of such a lizard in New Zealand.