Northlanders are urged not to be in the vicinity of the Great Exhibition Bay, on the east coast north of Kaitāia, after a “possible” explosive device is scheduled to be disposed of in the next 24 hours.
A police spokesperson said at 7.48am they were alerted about a volatile device that was found in the sand dunes.
After confirming its location, officers contacted the New Zealand Defence Force and affirmed it did not present any immediate danger to the public and would be “safely destroyed”.
“Regardless, we advise the public to avoid the area for the next 24 hours to assist the NZDF in disposing of the device,” the police spokesperson said.
The lead taio (environment) ranger for Te Aupōuri iwi, Niki Conrad, said the device was found at low tide on Tuesday afternoon and appeared to have washed up in the recent storm.