Thanx for the sympathy Madmax... it is the lost captured memories that makes me sad.
My wife just got in touch with a friend in Australia who regularly takes walk @North Beach. The friend said that it is quite common for them to post lost & found notices, so she will help us keep a lookout too. Some others may even take out local ads to announce about their find, hoping the owners will read the ad. Quite heartening to hear that such a gracious society exists.