Photo: Ship Creek Beach South Island

When you stroll the beach at Ship Creek on the South Island of New Zealand you will find many fascinating pieces of driftwood.

It is amazing that driftwood this large can float throughout the waters and end its journey washed up along the sandy beach for one to marvel over. Ship Creek beach on the West Coast of the South Island of New Zealand is home to hundreds of pieces of driftwood in a variety of sizes and shapes.

Some people consider driftwood to be more of a problem than it is worth while others find it very intriguing and ponder over what it could be used for. Many tourists or visitors to the beach at Ship Creek on the South Island of New Zealand spend hours looking for the right pieces of driftwood to create craft or art masterpieces.

The best place to leave driftwood is on the beach as it provides shelter for small animals such as birds, fish and other types of sea creatures. After a long period of time the driftwood will eventually rot away because of shipworms, bacteria and gribbles and then miraculously reenter the food environment. ... continue below the picture...

... If driftwood has been sitting for some time, it can became the basis for sand dunes.

Each section of driftwood is unique in its own way and on Ship Creek Beach on the South Island of New Zealand it may take you hours to wander the beach. There is an abundance of wood along these shores and if are looking for anything in particular, start in the early morning hours when the beach is considered to be your own.

Driftwood scattered on the beach at Ship Creek along Highway 6, the Glacier Highway, Westland, West Coast, South Island, New Zealand.