Griff’s Last Adventure: Devoted brother and sister send painted rocks around globe in memory of beloved dad

Izzy Barnes, 18, and her 15-year-old brother Nathan Barnes, both from Portsmouth, started Griff’s Last Adventure in memory of Griff Barnes, who died aged 54 from an aortic aneurysm in July 2023.

The rocks have been found by hundreds of people in numerous countries and cities around the world including Yemen, Ukraine, New York, Kenya, Costa Rica and the Arctic, with the idea that when one is found, it is taken to a new location and left for another person to discover.

Griff was a police inspector for Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary for over 30 years and Izzy said that he 'had the kindest heart and he couldn’t have done any more for anybody, he was the best dad.'

Izzy said: "We just thought let’s give him one last adventure to all the countries he couldn’t go to.

"We went on a holiday to Somerset with my dad’s side and we were very deep in the grieving stages at that point as it had literally just happened.

“We just thought, what can we do to take our minds off it but also to remember him.

“He loved travelling, he would go anywhere, he was such an adventurous person.”

The stones have been painted in a range of colours and come with a message directing those who find them to a Facebook page – which currently has more than 850 members. Everyone that finds a rock is invited to post a photo of it and leave a note to the group.

The idea thought up by the siblings has brought people all across the world together in an amazing way - to celebrate their dad's life and keep his memory alive.

Izzy added: "Some people have joined and asked for a rock but they live in a different country so we’ve given people the opportunity to paint their own because we want as many rocks as we can to be out there,” she said.

“We just thought it would be family, friends and people who were close to him but it just started to blow up and we would get lots of messages every day.

“One rock at the moment is about to head over to the Maldives, we’ve had one in the Arctic, Tokyo.

“Recently we’ve had somebody who works away on deployment on a submarine – he’d like to have one in the submarine and one at the bottom of the ocean.”

Since their dad's death, the family have started living their lives to the fullest. Izzy said that one of the things they've 'learnt is to live each day like it’s your last as you never know if you have a tomorrow.'

To follow Griff’s Last Adventure on Facebook, click here.