The Queensland family in the horrific car crash in New Zealand on Monday had been on their way to visit relatives for the holidays, their neighbour has said.
Stephen Phillips, 54 and his two stepsons were killed when the rental car they were travelling in collided with a truck on State Highway 1 at Huntly on Monday afternoon.
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Family killed in New Zealand
Three members of a Brisbane family are killed in a car crash soon after arriving in Auckland.
The boys' mother Belinda Williams, who was in the car at the time of the crash, was rushed to hospital in a critical condition along with her daughter Tessa, who survived the crash.
The family had left their home on Monday morning to spend two weeks visiting Ms Williams' family in New Zealand for a big family reunion during the holidays and had left their home in the hands of their neighbour, Billy Azad.
"I saw the kids on Sunday, I asked them 'What you want me to do?', me and Belinda had a good chat that afternoon, she said she was leaving on Monday," he said.
It wasn't until police knocked on the door of Mr Azad's Loganlea home that he realised something was wrong.
"We were just told Stephen was in a car crash and they were looking for the next of kin," he said.
"We started looking for information, I had some contacts in New Zealand ... we started looking through Facebook and found out what had happened."
Mr Azad said the news had shocked the neighbours, who had lived in the same street as the family for the past five years.
"We have a great family (on the street), it doesn't matter what the age or race, we would hold mid-winter parties, Christmas parties, barbecues and things like that, we all know each other, look after each other," he said.
"The kids were always happy to play: skating, scooters, they played hide and seek but if they went out of line they would always improve themselves.
"We live in a cul-de-sac, the kids were always out playing.
"They were very good neighbours, I have got a six-year-old and a two-year-old and they would look after them when we had to go into town.
"It is horrific, it is hard to swallow."
Mr Phillips was First Violinist with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra while his partner Ms Williams was a casual guest musician for the Queensland Symphony Orchestra and played the viola.
Mr Azad said both musicians were kind and caring.
"Stephen was a good gentleman, he was good at repairing pianos, a handyman kind of guy," he said.
"Belinda was a great lady, she would drop other kids on the street to the bus stop."
Mr Azad said he had heard that Ms Williams was out of surgery and "going well" and her daughter had been able to see her mum.
"I am sure she (Tessa) would have been traumatised, how the bodies were found, it's just horrific," he said.
Queensland Symphony Orchestra chairman Greg Wanchap said Mr Phillips had been a member for more than 25 years.
"The thoughts, prayers and love from everyone at the Queensland Symphony Orchestra are today with the family of our much loved First Violinist Stephen Phillips and his partner Belinda Williams, who often played Viola with the QSO," he said.
"Stephen had been a member of the QSO since 1987 and Belinda has played with the QSO since 2002."