Resident John Fillmore talks about the discovery of bones on Takapuna Beach.

Police say the human remains found on Takapuna Beach, on Auckland's North Shore, may have been in the water for "weeks".

A passerby came across the skeletal remains at 5.20am on Tuesday on the beach at the end of Hauraki Rd, Detective Sergeant Ross Clapp said.

"Police believe the person may have been in the water for one to two weeks and are uncertain at this stage of the gender," Clapp said.

DILEEPA FONSEKA/FAIRFAX NZ A tarpaulin covers the area where the remains were found.

"No further information is available until further identification procedures have taken place and this may take some time."

READ MORE:

* Unidentifiable animal remains found partially buried on Auckland beach

* 'Freshly skinned' dog flesh found on Auckland's Takapuna Beach

* 'Fleshy' carcass found on Auckland beach

Earlier on Tuesday, police brought the remains from the beach to a covered area bordering John Fillmore's house.

DILEEPA FONSEKA/FAIRFAX NZ Police at the scene at the end of Hauraki Rd, on Takapuna Beach.

"Someone found him, rang the police then they came down, the fire brigade everyone came down," Fillmore said.

"It was all action here this morning."

Police believed the bones were human and restricted access to the beach as they protected the scene and removed the skeleton.

DILEEPA FONSEKA/FAIRFAX NZ Police at the scene said an undertaker would remove the remains.

The bones were removed from the scene about 8.30am and the beach was reopened to the public about 9am.

Local resident Charmaine Rawlings said she was shocked at the discovery: "I've come from South Africa, you come here to escape these kinds of things".

Liam Ryan said he had heard the news and "popped down to have a look".



"It's not usual to find a body in Taka, eh."

Chris Jones, 39, lives on the street where the police had setup their cordon but only found out about the news. The first theory that occurred to him was the "lady from Torbay", a 73-year-old who went missing in January, but thought it might be too far for her last seen location.

Dog walkers Mary Norton and Gilbert Hunt said the find was unsettling.

Hunt said "it could have washed up from anywhere couldn't it?"

"Especially with the cyclone and stuff, who knows what could have come through."

Norton said she was "very, very sad" to hear about the body. "That's terrible."



Takapuna Beach is one of Auckland's most popular beaches.