The police in Auckland say it will take weeks of work and a team of 15 to find all the owners of a huge haul of stolen goods stashed at a rural property.

Photo: NZ Police

The items were found in 12 shipping containers, two horse floats and a number of outsheds at the property on the Dairy Flat Highway, in Rodney district.

Police said forensic examinations, old files, serial numbers and people's descriptions will help them identify who the goods belong to.

The first stolen item to be returned was a 30,000 litre water tank.

A 43 year-old man has been charged with receiving stolen property, and the investigation is continuing.