When Ohope Beach artist Harlem Shine finishes carving for the day, he can never be sure his artwork will still be there in the morning.
The Bay of Plenty man has spent the past four years turning large logs that wash ashore during storms into unique artworks with Maori designs.
Despite some pieces being several metres in length and weighing over a tonne, an overnight storm can see months of work disappearing out to sea - although they have a knack of returning.
"If Tangaroa [god of the sea] takes it, he will bring it back in a mile down the beach - that's part of the beauty of the spirit of this," Shine said.
"When I first started, I used to think they just disappeared, but they always came back."