She reported the find to Taupo police, and was told they would keep the taonga for a while, and if it was unclaimed it would be processed. They said there had been lots of people in town for a concert, and it was unlikely an owner would come forward.
Mrs Harvey decided to give details of the piece to both Taupo and Whanganui police but keep it and look for the owner herself. She made one post on Facebook. Only one, but it "went everywhere" and lots of people responded.
"We've had so many people ringing up saying it was theirs."
People who phone are asked to describe the piece, and at first no one gave the correct details. No one seemed to want it when they realised it wasn't theirs, and the family got more and more intrigued.
"We've met some really, really amazing people out of it, which has been a really cool part of the story," Mrs Harvey said.
Then a man called John rang. He described the piece, and the cord details and the place where it was found and the family thought the taonga must be his. On Monday they travelled back to his home north of Taupo to return it to him.
It wasn't his, but they enjoyed meeting him.
"He was so cool. He invited us in and gave us a cuppa. Then he gave us a whole lot of homekill meat. We tried to say "no" but he said "You're on a journey, and this is part of it"."
Mrs Harvey is disappointed not to have found the owner.
"We would really like it to be off our conscience," she said.
But among the many messages from her Facebook post have been two from Maori elders. One told her taonga sometimes chose their journeys, and for whatever reason she was meant to hold onto this one and look after it.
She's familiar with the significance of the stone ornaments. She and her husband have both had them, and have given theirs to their eldest children.
"You just don't buy it for yourself. It's given to someone, for something. Everyone that owns one there's a story behind it," she said.
