'You see the relief in their eyes': Gold Coast treasure hunters uncover local love stories
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Gold Coast
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A GOLD COAST treasure hunter has made a name for herself by reuniting not just one but two people with their wedding rings in the space of a week.
And now there is one more love story she wants to solve.
Kazz Preston, a detectorist who owns a professional recovery business, was on the hunt at Burleigh last week when she came across a missing wedding ring.
“I just love finding history buried beneath your feet, so I do it for work and fun. I heard the signal, which sounded like it was a $2 coin but I found a really heavy white and gold wedding ring.”
After posting her find online that night, she was shocked when the right owner, a family holidaying from Brisbane, found her the next day.
“It was lovely, they bought flowers and chocolates to say thanks. He was so happy to have it back,” she said.
On Sunday night, Ms Preston again received a call to help find another ring in the surf at Main Beach.
“I went out at 8pm, not my normal plan, but we found it in the water,” Ms Preston said.
“Couldn't believe it, we were so lucky.
“I love doing it. The relief you see on their face is amazing.”
Now after a lucky run, she is calling for help to find the owners of her most precious find yet: a love token from World War II she found at Kyogle, with the inscription “New Guinea 1942, To Lucy Love Len”.
“I know the Gold Coast has a lot of retirees so we are putting the call out here, that is something I would love to return.”
Those with clues can contact Metal Detecting Recovery Services through their Facebook page online.
Currumbin mystery: The unsolved case of the missing medals
MISSING medals belonging to a famous Gold Coast identity have been discovered lying in the street on what would have been the owner’s 109th birthday.
Amateur sleuths spent their Queen’s Birthday weekend piecing together a unique local mystery that has left many scratching their heads.
Medals presented to the man behind the Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary, Alexander Griffiths, were found in a gutter in Tugun on Monday, by Ashmore woman Rachel Love.
FLASHBACK: HOW ALEX GRIFFITHS BECAME A GOLD COAST ICON
Despite tracking down the resting place of the original owner, no one quite knows why the medals were abandoned.
“I was walking with my client when we moved off the gutter onto the road, I saw a bit of tin or something shiny,” Ms Love said.
“I thought I should go back and pick them up, when I saw they were medals.”
Unable to find the owner, Ms Love turned to the online community to help her hunt down the name written on the back ‘Alexander Morris Griffiths’.
The missing items were discovered to be a Member of the Order of Australia medal awarded to Dr Griffiths in 1976 for his service to native wildlife.
INCREDIBLE LEGACY LEFT BEHIND BY GRIFFITHS
Dr Griffiths, who started out selling honey on his plot in Currumbin, established The Sanctuary in the 1970s after tourists continued to show up to see the native birds he fed.
The sanctuary later grew into a larger preservation plot and was donated to the National Trust of Queensland to become the Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary.
He was awarded a doctorate by Griffith University for his dedication to the preservation of the natural environment and was laid to rest in 1998 at the sanctuary.
Ms Love returned the medals to Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary Tuesday morning with the condition they will be hung alongside a photo of Dr Griffiths to keep his memory alive.
The current owners of the historic pieces are still yet to be found.
“I was overwhelmed with sadness when I found out that he had no family and died in his sleep and his medals were found on the side of the road,” Ms Love said.
“It has been such a phenomenal 24 hours, to see so many people help keep the memory of this great Gold Coaster alive.
“The most heartwarming of all was to find out he was born on the day when the medals were found in 1911.
“He would have been 109 yesterday, so happy birthday Dr Griffiths wherever you are.
“I am so glad this has a beautiful outcome and his legacy can live on.”
Jayme Cuttriss the acting CEO of Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary said they were thankful to Ms Love for her help and commitment to research Alex’s extraordinary life.
“We are delighted that Rachel has gone to the trouble to find out more about these very special medals. They are a very important part of Gold Coast history and we are delighted to be involved in this and help to find the rightful owner,” Ms Cuttriss said.
“We are currently working with Police to find the person who is now missing these medals.”
If you have any information that may assist please contact Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary on info@nationaltrust.qld.org
Originally published as 'You see the relief in their eyes': Gold Coast treasure hunters uncover local love stories