Little hidden treasures spread love in lockdown

Feeling isolated in lockdown? Young Aria gets it, and she’s got a creative approach to help people feel more connected.

With life in lockdown taking a toll, sometimes it’s the little things that can make a difference to others.

And for Aria Gageler those little things are handpainted rocks.

The four-year-old from Emerald Beach has been leaving her little masterpieces for others to find.

Some have been moved on, to be discovered again by others - with photos circulating on social media showing how much people appreciate the thoughtful tokens.

After finding a similar painted rock at Corindi Beach she became intrigued by the idea.

“So the conversation began,” Aria’s mother Reanne said.

She recently took her first little bucket of rocks to Emerald and Sandy Beach and hid them around the park.

“She saw other children find her rocks and she got so excited. The happiness on the faces of the other boys and girls was beautiful to see too.

Ariel places a small number of handpainted rocks for people to find at Emerald Beach.

“It’s such a positive, happy vibe for the children throughout an uncertain time, when routine and other things have been taken away from them.”

And it’s not just for the kids; with adults sharing the love on social media.

Aria, along with mum and dad and her 10-month-old sister Emity, have called Emerald Beach home for almost three years.

Reanne has since discovered a local Facebook page dedicated to the pursuit called CoffsRocks!

It has more than 1,500 members with friends sharing their discoveries.

Some people paint their postcodes on the back to see how far the rocks can travel when people decide to hide them again, rather than taking them home.