A New Zealand animator who died holidaying in Spain spent nearly every holiday during his child and teenage years in the water in Taupo.
Peter James Stenhouse, 30, was holidaying in Galicia on the coast of Spain's La Coruna province with his partner when he disappeared after heading for one
last swim on August 22.
Spanish authorities searched the area for nine days after his girlfriend Caroline Haggerty raised the alarm when he didn't come back to the hotel.
His body was found on Wednesday afternoon when the Spanish Civil Guard, volunteers, Peter's friends and Red Cross staff searched the area after the tides changed.
His body was found close to where he entered the water and it's not yet known how he died.
Peter's parent's, Bob and Cathie Stenhouse, have been living in Taupo for the past two years.
Mrs Stenhouse said told the Daily Post Peter had a strong link to Taupo as the family would spend nearly every holiday in the town because his grandmother lived here and because of his love for water activities.
"He loved being at the lake," she said.
"We used to go out in the row boats in Acacia Bay when they let them out, he did a lot of swimming.
"He really enjoyed AC Baths. He also really enjoyed fishing as we used to always go out on my brother-in-law's boat."
She's hoping the post-mortem will bring more answers in the next couple of days.
Mrs Stenhouse said her husband went over to Spain as soon as they found out he had gone missing. His partner's parents also went over to support her.
She said she was in a state of unbelief, never thinking that something like this could happen to her.
"I'm at a stage that I don't really believe this is happening, so I'm kind of numb. I'm pretty devestated, while we've got a daughter he is our only son and you don't expect your children to die before you," she said.
"He was on his way to greater things and its a shame that he'll never get there."
She said her husband would arrange Peter's cremation in Spain before bringing him back to their Taupo home.
She also said her family would remember her son with a outdoor service.
"It's not going to be a funeral, because Peter was a very quirky different sort of person, he loved travelling, loved the outdoors so we'll go up a mountaintop somewhere and say our goodbyes."
The "quirky" traveller, who grew up in Upper Hutt and attended Massey University, once dried his underwear on his handlebars while he biked around Europe, she said.
"He was on a bike and was literally living day to day with what he had and was knocking on farmhouse doors and finding people so amazingly welcoming. He just made his way around on his trusty bike."
Peter had been based in London periodically over the last three years and was working at Fifty Nine productions creating animated backdrops for theatre, modern operas and ballets.
He produced work for high-profile performances such as Les Miserables.
His girlfriend, originally from Hastings, planned to return home after packing up her apartment in Madrid, Mrs Stenhouse said.
She said Peter's sister would fly over from South Africa for the private service, so they could remember Peter as a family.
"Apart from being adventurous he was also, playful, inspiring and had a zest for life."
- additional reporting APNZ