The shockwaves of deadly crash

They came from different countries and cultures, met for the first time on George Gibson's tour van early on Wednesday, and died together in this country's worst road crash in 10 years.

Mr Gibson, one of eight occupants of the Mercedes-Benz van who were killed in a collision with a timber truck near Morrinsville, had his Thai girlfriend, Naphat Juiyin, on board when he collected passengers of three different nationalities from Auckland hotels.

Four were members of the wealthy Thirumurthy family of Bangalore in southern India, which controls a large group of companies involved in businesses ranging from manufacturing agricultural machinery to car sales.

They were joined by American outdoor enthusiasts Greg and Donna Megas and a Frenchman in his 60s who booked his seat on the trip to Rotorua from an Auckland backpackers' hostel.

Their exploration of New Zealand ended in tragedy in wet conditions on a sweeping bend of State Highway 27.

The sole survivor, Ahalya Thirumurthy, 20, remains on life-support in Waikato Hospital. She has yet to be told of the deaths of her father, Thirumurthy Vellore, mother Suchitra and sister Urmila, 18.

Greenworld Tours director Philippa Dean said Mr Gibson would have lost no time breaking the ice across the cultures in his passengers' brief time together.

"I used to get people coming back saying going on tour with George was a life-changing experience," she said of the 66-year-old contract driver and guide, a former farmer with a near-legendary gift of the gab and knowledge of the countryside.

Ms Juiyin, 42, and also known as Pat, arrived in New Zealand eight days earlier from Thailand's Conburi province.

She is understood to have been an accountant with two teenage children at boarding school.

Miss Dean said Mr Gibson, a divorcee with twin sons in their 30s, had been looking forward to her arrival.

He had three days off last week to show her round.

Relatives of the Thirumurthy family will arrive from India at the weekend to support Ahalya and make funeral arrangements.

Police have yet to contact the Frenchman's next of kin and those of the Megas couple are not planning to travel here.

Greg Megas Jnr, 35, said from his home in New Jersey that he was "just looking forward to having them come home".

He told the Weekend Herald that his 57-year-old father and 45-year-old stepmother were a selfless, fun-loving couple.

"Donna always did for others and my father cared about everyone."

"He was the hardest-working man I'd ever known and finally at the point where he could enjoy the fruits of his success ... " he said of his father, a retired property investor who was living in Florida.

Mr Megas Jnr struggled for composure as he recalled how his father had emerged from a tough divorce to begin "just having a good time" after marrying Donna two years ago.

Nanditha Ravindre, a niece of Mr Vellore, told the Herald from Bangalore that everyone in his extended family was "totally shattered" by his death.

She said another relative had been travelling with the family in New Zealand. He had decided against going on the trip to Rotorua.