"Our thoughts continue to be with the families... We will continue to support these families as best we can over the coming days, weeks and months.''
Private gathering
Family members of those killed in Saturday's hot air balloon crash near Carterton gathered at the crash site for a private memorial service this afternoon.
A group of about 40 grieving family members arrived at the crash site for the ceremony at about 4.30pm, traveling to the crash site in a convoy of 12 cars, led by a police escort.
The ceremony was also attended by local police officers and other authorities, including Carterton mayor Ron Mark.
Mr Mark said earlier today that the ceremony would cater for all the grieving families and to remember the victims.
The remaining bodies are also due to be removed from the crash site this afternoon.
The families were also shown photos of their loved ones' final moments earlier today.
The pictures were taken by a photographer following the balloon's journey.
Mr Mark said the families chose to look at the photos this morning, and described the experience as bittersweet.
"The photos are so typical of all of us who were flying with Hoppy (Lance Hopping) in the past, happy faces, smiling people, people maybe a little nervous at the outset, having fun putting the balloon up.''
Mr Mark said it was quite emotional for the families.
Family and friends of the victims have been paying tribute to their lost loved ones today.
Computer whiz had a 'kind heart'
Wellington man Stephen Hopkirk died on his 50th birthday after being given a ticket for a hot-air balloon ride by his partner Belinda Harter.
The "easygoing'' 50-year-old computer whiz and his 49-year-old partner were among the 11 people killed in the accident.
Their deaths were witnessed by Mr Hopkirk's parents on the ground. Saturday was also their 56th anniversary.
In a statement from his family, Mr Hopkirk's sister Ruth McIntosh said her brother had a kind heart who was deeply devoted to his late wife Pam.
Mr Hopkirk cared for her through her long illness.
"He and his recent partner Belinda were inseparable; together they enjoyed a whirl of outdoor activities.''
They lived together in Korokoro, Lower Hutt, and recently bought a bus which they planned to go exploring in.
"Having just returned from a trip mountain biking in National Park after Christmas, the early morning balloon ride was a surprise gift from Belinda for Stephen's 50th birthday on the 7th of January, something he had been wanting to experience.''
Mr Hopkirk's parents, Merle and Bob, were waiting on the ground to greet the couple.
Ms McIntosh said her brother grew up in Ardmore, Masterton and Lower Hutt with a loving family. He is survived by a brother and three sisters.
He attended Naenae College and completed a degree in Botany at Victoria University.
Mr Hopkirk worked for IBM in Petone for many years.
She described him as an intelligent and practical man.
"Stephen could turn his hand at anything from computers to home renovation.''
He was the one his family and friends called on to help them and he never said 'no'.
"His beloved aunty recalls giving him a list of jobs on his frequent visits, which he would graciously work his way through. A real `kiwi' guy, quiet and unassuming but strong and determined.
She said January 7 had always been a special day for the Hopkirk family. The day is Stephen's parent's wedding anniversary for the past 56 years.
"Stephen also shared his birthday with a nephew. Now, it will also be known for the day he died.''
An angel on earth
Alexis Still was "an angel on earth'', one of her closest friends says.
Miss Still, 19, and her partner Chrisjan Jordaan, 21, were among 11 people who died in Saturday's ballooning tragedy near Carterton.
Chrisjan had bought the balloon ride for Alexis and it was the couple's third attempt after bad weather grounded the previous scheduled flights.
Alexis moved with her family to Rotorua from Dunedin when she was 2 and they moved to Wellington in 2008.
Her father was the Rotorua-based North Island manager for Landcorp before the family moved to Wellington.
Long-time Rotorua neighbour Kathryn Piesse said she couldn't believe what had happened. Mrs Piesse's daughter Natalie and Alexis were best friends growing up.
"She was a shining star . . . the sweetest girl," Mrs Piesse said yesterday.
Natalie Piesse said she was still in disbelief.
"She has just blessed so many lives. She really was the most incredible person. She was an angel on earth,'' she said.
"She was so forgiving, gentle and understanding. She always encouraged me to be who I am.
"I just want people to understand that she was something else, so extraordinary. I've never met someone so confident and beautiful inside.
"Every time I was around her I felt better about myself. She was such a pure person.''
She said it was going to be a "long road" without Miss Still in her life.
Miss Still's Rotorua drama teacher of five years, Gabrielle Thurston, said she was in shock about what happened.
"She had everything going for her really and was really popular with her peers," said Mrs Thurston.
"She has left a lot of friends here."
Victim had balloon trip on to-do list
Another victim of the tragedy - Denise Dellabarca - had been meaning to take a balloon trip for a while, but her dream turned to tragedy when she died in Saturday's fiery crash.
The 58-year-old legal secretary had been on the trip with her Masterton cousin Valerie Bennett, who was gifted the trip by her son for her 70th birthday.
A close colleague of Mrs Dellabarca has told of how the balloon trip was "one of the things she had on her list to do for a while''.
Ross Johnston, a partner at Kensington Swan who worked on the same team as Mrs Dellabarca, today described her as a loyal, conscientious and private person.
"She was a great person and a wonderful work colleague. We worked together for nearly 25 years and all of us are going to miss her very much,'' he said.
"She was a very loyal person and very conscientious. She was a great team player, a great team member.''
Mr Johnston said colleagues were shocked by the news.
"It's just such a surprise,'' he said.
"We all respected her very much and we will miss her.''
Mrs Dellabarca's sister-in-law, Virginia Dellabarca, yesterday described her as "a lovely person'' and a caring sister-in-law.
Her aunt, who did not wish to be named, said her niece loved the outdoors and arts and crafts.
"She did her own dressmaking, all her own sewing and that. She was pretty clever.''
Mrs Dellabarca had moved from the Wellington suburb of Island Bay to Paraparaumu to look after her sick mother, who died a couple of years ago.
She had been a very keen horse rider, but had to give up a few years ago after she suffered an injury from a fall.
