EXCEPTIONAL. Mysterious. Remarkable. Extraordinary. Wonderful. They're words being thrown around to describe a previously unidentified sand sculptor and a castle he built on a Hervey Bay beach last week.

So impressive was the work that it sparked a region-wide search for the mystery man - who it turns out is named Mike Lewis.

Mike has been on holidays in Hervey Bay with his wife Sue for the past month, visiting from Beaverton in Oregon, USA.

He's been creating sandcastles since he was 10 - that's 45 years and counting.

"It's fun, it's great," Mike said.

"I grew up in New Jersey and when I was graduating from college the guy interviewing me said he wanted to take me to Oregon for a job and said, 'do you have any questions?' and I said 'is there a beach?'."

Mike's tips

• Tools: ice-block stick, putty knife, shovel and wood block
• Work top to bottom
• Use wet sand
• Bermuda's a waste of time: worst sand ever