By JONATHON HOWARD
A DEEP sadness has fallen over the community this week following the horrific road deaths of Noosa Pengari Steiner School teacher Andre Vogel and 16-year-old student Gabriel Runge on Friday 28 November.
The pair lost their lives in a terrible head-on accident involving a milk tanker on North Island State Highway 5 south of Settlers Road about 4.30pm near Reporoa.
The deaths prompted an outpouring of support from across Australia and New Zealand as students and staff struggled to come to terms with the loss.
One was a young man with his whole life ahead of him, the other a 36-year-old father who shared his passion for nature and adventure with his two girls.
For five days, Gabriel and Andre experienced the natural wonders of New Zealand in what would be their last adventure.
The group of two teachers and seven students from Noosa Pengari Steiner School had just finished walking the Tongariro Crossing and were travelling in a minivan to Rotorua when the crash occurred.
New Zealand Police said the school’s minivan had a head-on collision with a Fonterra milk tanker and, although investigations are continuing, it appeared the minivan carrying the group may have crossed the centreline.
A second teenage boy was rushed to Waikato Hospital in a serious but stable condition. The teenager has since woken from his coma and his parents are by his side.
The remaining six students and second teacher Tricia Jeffree returned home early on Monday morning and they attended a special school ceremony the same day.
Principal Allen Kloeden said the students were determined to do so, despite very little sleep after a late return home.
The school is already planning to name a bridge in Gabriel’s honour and plans are underway for a permanent tribute to Andre.
“A beautiful ceremony led by Indigenous person Waiata Telfer helped everyone to remember Andre and Gabriel, to be reminded of their spiritual presence, and to help in their grieving,” Mr Kloeden said.
He said students also decided that a bridge they had been building at the school would be finished this week and named in Gabriel’s honour.
“Gabriel was a passionate worker on the bridge being constructed on the grounds. As a tribute to him, his classmates are happy to have it named “Gabby’s Bridge”,” Mr Kloeden said.
“Plans are also underway for a permanent tribute to Andre.”
Mr Kloeden described the level of support in the form of messages, offers of help, and gifts from schools near and far, including from overseas, as overwhelming.
“Counselling services were made available during the day to staff, students and parents. The school gratefully acknowledges the support of other local schools that have made their counsellors available,” he said.
“The school community is immensely grateful for this.
Noosa Pengari Steiner School Friends Facebook page creator Suzannah Pritchard-Laborie, a parent of one of Gabriel Runge’s classmates, described Gabriel as a “gentle soul” to media sources.
“Our son left school three years ago to home school but was still in contact with Gabby,” she said.
“This child was the most open-hearted, kind kid who would never say a bad word about anybody. He was such a gentle soul.”
Ms Pritchard-Laborie said Mr Vogel would take the Steiner school students on mountain-bike rides and had picnics on her property.
Her son, like many others, was still coming to terms with the loss of a friend.
She said they were part of an extremely close-knit community and hundreds of posts to Gabriel’s Facebook profile from friends pouring out their grief had been made private at the request of his family.
