Memories saved: Schoolboys return tourist's lost GoPro

School boys Max Hood,14, Clyde Lawrence,14, and twin brother Jasper Lawrence,14, found tourist, Oscar Terrazas' GoPro and managed to get the camera back to him. 13 August 2015 New Zealand Herald Photo

Memories of New Zealand could have been lost for one Mexican tourist if it was not of the honesty of three Auckland schoolboys and the power of social media.

Oscar Terrazas has been travelling in New Zealand this year, recording his trip on his GoPro camera and selfie stick.

However, he lost the device at Whatipu on Auckland's west cost in May.

Last month, Max Hood and Clyde and Jasper Lawrence of Remuera were hiking in the Waitakeri Ranges when they stumbled across the device and handed it to Newmarket Police.

An image from the device was posted to the Auckland City Police Facebook and after thousands of shares on the site - Mr Terrazas came forward to reclaim his missing property.

In the South Island at the time, Mr Terrazos has returned to Auckland and today, he was reunited with the camera and selfie stick and met the boys and police staff responsible for seeing it returned.

"I was shocked because in other places [in the world] this wouldn't have happened," he said. "Before this I liked this country so much but now I have another reason to love it and I'd like to stay here."

Auckland Police spokeswoman Noreen Hegarty said thousands of people shared the Facebook post before Mr Terrazas saw it.

Today, Auckland City Police Eastern Area Commander Inspector Vaughn Graham presented Max, Clyde and Jasper with a small thank-you gift and introduced them to Mr Terrazas at the Auckland Domain.

"The boys have every reason to be proud of the fact they chose to hand the equipment in when they found it," he said.