Lost something precious? Let’s bring it home.

I had been camping in Tawharanui on Sunday, 22nd March, at around 12:30 pm. I was on the main beach and took my ring off, along with my watch, before going for a swim. I left them wrapped in my towel beside the rope line that separates the small dune area near the walkways from the beach.

After my swim, I picked up my towel, shirt, and watch and walked back along the beach toward the campground. I didn't realise I hadn't put my ring back on until I was about 50 metres down the beach.

The ring is white gold and very special to me - it has my four children's names etched around the outside edge, and mine and their mother's names on the inside. It was made five years ago by my ex-wife's father, who has since passed away. Because of that, the ring carries a lot of meaning - not just for me, but also for my ex-wife and our four children. It's one of the few things that still connects us all to him.

When I realised it was gone, I was devastated. Weeks passed, and I hadn't told my children - I was scared to, knowing how much it meant to all of us. The weight of that loss sat heavily with me, and in the end, it was my current partner who encouraged me to reach out and do something about it rather than give up hope.

I had attached a Google Maps image highlighting where I believed I had lost it, somewhere above the high tide mark.

Although a few weeks had passed, I was put in touch with Matt, who had actually already headed out to the beach to search. I was worried I might be wasting his time, but I felt it had to still be there.

Amazingly, it was - and I was able to get it back.

I truly can't thank you enough, especially Matt. Your help means more than I can say.

I met the owner at Mission Bay after learning he had lost a ring that meant a great deal to him—an heirloom passed down from his deceased brother. He showed me the area where he believed it had been lost, but knowing how water movement and tides can shift objects, I expanded the search zone. Since the ring had been lost while he was in the water, there was a strong chance it had been carried by waves or current. After scanning the upper portion of the expanded area, I moved downslope and began picking up broken tones on the detector. I decided to focus there. After a couple of scoops, the signal was still in the hole, so I used my pinpointer to narrow it down. That’s when I caught a glint of gold peeking through the shells. In the three to four days since the ring had been lost, it had settled nearly five inches beneath the sand. I turned, smiled, and said, “You must be the luckiest guy around.” He replied, “I just finished saying a prayer that you’d find it.” Matt N

After our wedding just two weeks ago, I lost my platinum wedding band while swimming at Narrow Neck Beach on Christmas Day. After spending the evening at low tide with a garden rake and no luck, I was gutted and thought I might never see it again. My wife then found the NZ Ring Finder Facebook page, so I gave them a call on Boxing Day. Ian quickly organised for Matthew to come down, and with his metal detector he found my ring within 25 minutes! I honestly couldn’t believe it. I’m so incredibly grateful to be reunited with my ring and can’t thank Ian and Matthew enough. Very thankful for this amazing community of talented people who are willing to help others out ❤️ Tom