To celebrate the life of a young man who "glowed bright and made a difference" Zach Bray's family and friends will gather and paddle out in his memory, at his favourite beach.
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His family took to social media to invite friends to North Curl Curl beach near Dee Why on Saturday, June 17, a place where Mr Bray grew up, was a Nipper and enjoyed surfing with his mates.
Mr Bray was killed in the tragic wedding bus crash near Greta on Sunday, June 11 which claimed the lives of nine others.
Tributes continue to flow for those who died in the horror incident, and it has been a heart-wrenching time for the Singleton sporting community, where many of the victims including Mr Bray, played together at the Singleton Roosters AFL Club.
The former Byron Bay resident had also been working in the Hunter mining industry for six years and survived bowel cancer after being diagnosed in 2019 at just 25 years old.
"'You have Bowel Cancer', four words I didn't expect to hear two weeks ago," he wrote in a social media post, four years ago.
"It's not often I put stuff on FB and prefer to keep my online presence low key. However I have a little story I'd like to share in the hope of helping spread a message that is very close to home right now," it read.
In 2020 he posted that he had survived the cancer and everything was back to what he'd call "normal".
His tragic death has sent shockwaves through the nation and his family members wrote in a social media post, thanking those who have messaged their condolences.
"Thank you for all your support and well wishes, it means a lot to us as a family, and shows how much of an impact Zach had on each and everyone of us.
"Because this tragic event has become an extensive criminal investigation by law enforcement, we are not able to confirm a funeral date, so in the interim we've decided to get together and celebrate his life with a paddle out ceremony," the post read.
The family encouraged people to join them for a moment of mourning.
"Everyone is welcome to join us and whether you want to paddle out or participate from the beach, we look forward to seeing you then."
Community crisis centres will remain open over the weekend as Hunter locals grieve.
Singleton Council's centre at Singleton Youth Venue will be open for at least Saturday, Sunday and Monday from 10am-4pm.
"Trained mental health staff will be on hand to speak to all who need support following the horrific Hunter Valley bus tragedy," the Council said on Twitter.
Branxton Community Hall, operated by Cessnock City Council with workers from the Red Cross, Salvation Army and the local health district, will be open from 10am to 4pm each day.
A council spokesperson said the centre's hours would continue to be evaluated based on how many people visited. They said numbers were "mixed", as many visitors came to support others.
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Alanna Tomazin
Alanna is a journalist at the Newcastle Herald with a focus on education. She takes pride in regional journalism which she believes is crucial to informing our towns and cities. Have a story? Email her at alanna.tomazin@austcommunitymedia.com.au
Alanna is a journalist at the Newcastle Herald with a focus on education. She takes pride in regional journalism which she believes is crucial to informing our towns and cities. Have a story? Email her at alanna.tomazin@austcommunitymedia.com.au
Lucinda Garbutt-Young
Lucinda Garbutt-Young is a producer at The Canberra Times. She was previously a reporter at the Newcastle Herald, where she covered breaking news, court and other general news. Do you have a story? Email Lucinda at l.garbutt-young@austcommunitymedia.com.au
Lucinda Garbutt-Young is a producer at The Canberra Times. She was previously a reporter at the Newcastle Herald, where she covered breaking news, court and other general news. Do you have a story? Email Lucinda at l.garbutt-young@austcommunitymedia.com.au
