Strange barnacle-encrusted object washes up on NZ beach

A mysterious object covered in barnacles and seaweed has been dragged to shore by waves at a New Zealand beach.

The strange and enormous object was photographed by Melissa Doubleday on Muriwai Beach near Auckland on Friday night.

A perplexed Ms Doubleday posted her photos on the Muriwai and Waimauku Area Community Group to see if anyone knew what it could be.

Hundreds have liked the pictures on Facebook, and the mysterious object has encouraged all sorts of conspiracy theories as to what hides beneath the thick layer of barnacles.

The general consensus is it is a large piece of driftwood covered in goose-neck barnacles, which Ms Doubleday later confirmed to News Hub.

But some punters used their imagination and a dash of humour to point out it could be a Rastafarian whale, alien time capsule or even an ancient a Maori canoe.

The strange scene has become almost normal for New Zealand beaches after recent earthquakes dramatically changed the landscape.

The entire sea bed was lifted by two metres on the South Island in November.