German tourists delighted after Northlander returns lost wallet

German tourist Achim Bockbreder and good Samaritan Kevin Rosemergy. Photo / Supplied

A Northland Good Samaritan saved a German couple on their holidays a lot of trouble after finding and handing in their lost wallet.

Achim and Petra Bockbreder were visiting Matapōuri a few weeks ago as part of their campervan tour through New Zealand when they lost their wallet at the beach.

Luckily for the couple though, a considerate Kiwi found and handed in the wallet to police in Whangārei, which earned him a bottle of wine from the Germans.

"Petra and I were visiting [Matapōuri Beach] – we were nearly alone there," he recalled.

"I enjoy photography, but I'm always very hectic when I take photos. I believe I had put my wallet in the camera bag and it must have fallen out when I grabbed the camera."

The couple didn't notice it until they reached Helena Bay, where they called into a café to buy some refreshments.

Worried that they might have lost their credit cards and driver's licence, the Bockbreders turned their campervan inside out and then decided to drive back to Matapōuri in the hope of finding the wallet.

The couple, who are on an eight-month trip around the world and have been recently visiting Canada and the US, were worried they would have to replace their documents – a difficult task so far from home.

After a fruitless search, they approached three young women at the beach, who helped them to search, then recommended they ask at the local shop if someone had dropped the wallet off. The Bockbreders were told that someone had indeed found it and that the person was heading to the police station in Whangārei.

"The police had our wallet with money, credit cards and all. To be honest, that is typical New Zealand to us," Bockbreder said.

"This is our fifth time here in the country. We first came here 22 years ago for our honeymoon, and we absolutely loved it – especially the friendly people. Everyone is incredibly forthcoming and super friendly."

They managed to track down Kevin Rosemergy, who said it was an absolute given for him to hand in a lost wallet, and refused a monetary reward from them. Instead, they bought him a bottle of wine and thanked him "a thousand times".

"Every time we come here, we have so many great experiences, and we do want to come back," he said. "New Zealand is one of our favourite countries."