The removal of the Daring took five days and cost more than $1m.

It's taken several heavy duty moving trucks, five days and more than $1 million to remove a 153-year-old shipwreck from a West Auckland beach.

The Daring, a schooner uncovered by shifting sands at Muriwai Beach in May, was successfully removed, fully intact, by the Daring Rescue Team on December 12.

Larry Paul, from the Classic Yacht Charitable Trust, said volunteers slept on the beach between tides as the ship was excavated over three days.

"It's a beautiful piece of work," Paul said. "The Daring was made in an earlier era of boat building, and it is the only kind probably in the world that is still fully intact."

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A perfectly intact shoe, coins, a cup, clay pipes and multiple wine bottle caps dating back to the 19th century were found on the ship.

SUPPLIED The shipwreck was discovered in May by a local on Muriwai Beach.

Paul, John Stewart and Baden Pascoe instigated the boat's removal after a Muriwai local stumbled across the ship.

The group organised the self-funded project because they believed the vessel was worth saving for New Zealanders to enjoy, Paul said.

"Otherwise it would have been in the sand for years."

The wreck was partially buried on the beach and inside the NZDF Kaipara Air Weapons Range. It had been driven ashore by a severe gale in 1865.

Paul said it took months of paperwork to get the right approvals to remove it.

On December 10, the removal of the Daring from the sand began – artifacts were taken out of the vessel and strops were put in.

THE DARING RESCUE/SUPPLIED A perfectly intact shoe from the 1800s was found on board as well as 19th century coins, a cup, clay pipes and multiple wine bottle caps.

The next day, two big excavators on each side of the vessel wiggled it out to remove sand from inside the ship.

Day three on December 12, the Daring was successfully lifted from the sand and placed above the water level mark.

"It was a huge challenge, mainly because we had to get it ready and work with the tide.

SUPPLIED The Muriwai Fire Brigade volunteered to hose down the vessel on December 13.

"We had four hours to work on each day and some of the crew slept on the beach waiting for the tides."

On December 13, Paul said the Daring was moved 40 kilometres across Muriwai Beach by a big loader truck.

"It took 45 minutes to move it to hard sand, and another two and half hours more after that using road track maps."

The Daring was taken to the edge of Muriwai forest and was hosed down by the Muriwai Volunteer Fire Brigade.

On December 14, the Daring was moved to a location in Hobsonville where it would remain until plans for its preservation and final destination were finalised.

"The boat was built in Mangawhai so they've shown interest to have it there, there's also been interest from Onehunga because she was based there.

Photo Credit: Bev Ross An original sketch of the Daring by Edwin Brookes 1863.

"But there's also interest to keep it in central Auckland where there is enough population and tourists to enjoy it."

The 17 metre-long schooner was a two-masted ship carrying a cargo of grass seed when it was driven onto the beach near South Head on the Kaipara Harbour.

It had been built just two years earlier in Mangawai and owned by an Onehunga man.

Paul said they had set up a Givealittle page to help fund the rest of the Daring's rescue.

"The biggest challenge has been securing the boat because of scavengers. We had to hire 24/7 security from September until today to make sure that it stays safe."