Speculation in the Far North as to what happened ranges from an amateur house-moving attempt gone horribly wrong to an extraordinarily brazen theft attempt.
What is known for certain - as confirmed by the police and the Far North District Council - is that a house fell off the back of a truck on Orakau Road, in the Punakitere Valley south of Kaikohe.
A police spokesman said the incident came to light at 7.40am on Tuesday when a motorist reported coming across a house blocking the road.
The truck was reported to have jack-knifed and crashed into a ditch some distance from the severely damaged house.
The spokesman said the truck driver was not at the scene.
Follow-up enquiries were underway to locate and speak to the driver.
As to the background to the house-moving blunder, police were still in the dark.
"Police have no immediate information to confirm speculation of a stolen house. If anyone in the community does have information regarding any criminal offending taking place, we would always advise people to report this."
Information could be relayed to police by calling 105 or Crime Stoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.
Meanwhile, a Far North District Council spokesman said the house suffered extensive damage in the crash.
It appeared the home had struck trees before coming off the trailer about 3.5km from Pokapu Road.
Traffic management was put in place while a contractor widened the road by cutting into the bank.
By mid-afternoon on Tuesday, the road was wide enough to allow trucks to pass, though the house was still on the road and traffic management remained in place.
