When Rebecca Barnett returned with her daughter Florence (3 months) to find the front door of their home wide open last Friday, she thought her husband, Cory, had returned home early from work.
Instead, she discovered their Wakari villa had just been burgled.
Finding possessions strewn around the rooms, she also heard male voices leaving the property, and called police.
The burglars had taken small electronic items, including two iPods and a digital camera, but it was the loss of their Sony Vaio laptop and back-up hard-drive containing hundreds of digital photos which hurt the most.
While the couple were insured, they are left with only a handful of photos of Florence, who was born with a hole in her heart.
"We just want them back," Mrs Barnett said.
The couple - a schoolteacher and a builder - returned to New Zealand three years ago after living for eight years in London without any incident. The burglary had shaken their confidence.
"It has made me feel unsafe," Mrs Barnett said.
Mr Barnett urged the burglars to return the photos on their laptop, particularly those of Florence, no questions asked.
