Police in Queensland's far north have a "tail" to tell after a three-and-a-half metre crocodile swaggered up the street and into the backyard of a house on New Year's Eve.

The crocodile wandered into the backyard of a property at Karumba, in Queensland's gulf country, enjoying basking in the sun in the backyard for a few hours from about 6am.

Police boxed in a crocodile at Karumba with hay bales and wheelie bins while waiting for wildlife experts from Cairns to arrive on New Year's Eve. Credit:McLeod.ChrissieL[CCC]

He then made the snappy decision to move out to the front gate, where he remained for the rest of the day.

Creative police officers and locals initially built a barrier out of wheelie bins in an attempt to funnel the crocodile back towards the water.