An Arataki family are happily scrolling through priceless childhood memories after the power of social media helped return their lost camera.

At Mount Maunganui Police Station today Fran Mortell collected her camera that she lost on a trip to the beach with her two sons, Kingston, 2, and Jethro John, 4, and two other children on January 28.

Fran Mortell reunited with her camera she lost in January.

'We were holding out hope that we would come across it again,” says Fran.

'I thought it was buried in the sand dunes. I didn't think the chances were very high of finding it.”

Yesterday police published a photo of Fran and her family found on the camera in an effort to find the owner, which was also shared online by SunLive.

It was handed into Mount Maunganui Police Station by a local man not long after it was lost on January 28.

Mount Police station support officer Nicki Caulton says posting the photo online yesterday was a last ditch attempt by police after an unsuccessful four months.

Within half an hour of it being shared, both online and on Facebook, police received multiple calls identifying Fran as the owner.

'I couldn't believe it, because my cousin rung and said ‘hey have you lost your camera?' I said no because we had brought a new one.

'She said ‘there's a photo on Facebook of our family at Christmas'.”

Although Fran was able to download the family photos circulated before the camera was lost, she is pleased to have it back as it contains photos of her children playing at Mount Maunganui oceanbeach.

And, despite having a new camera, Fran is pleased to have the previous one back as she says it is a 'very good camera”.

'It's an old camera, but it's a great camera and takes good photos. We have had it for years.

'We have since brought a new camera but it's not as good.”

The family photo circulated by police in an attempt to find the camera owner.