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The family of the Dutch woman who was killed earlier this month in a hit from Melbourne in the south of the country, revealed that she had landed her dream job just before her death.
Gitta Scheenhouwer (27) cycled along a bicycle lane on Chapel Street in South Yarra when she was hit by an allegedly stolen SUV and was pinned against another car on 10 August at 10 a.m.
She was treated by emergency services but died on the spot.
Michael Panayides, 26, has been accused of culpable driving, has failed to stop and failed to provide assistance on the death of Ms. Scheenhouwer.
In a statement published today, Mrs Scheenhouwer's family said: "We can hardly put into words the deep pain and feelings of overwhelming sadness and grief over the loss of Gitta".
"Anyone who has the privilege of knowing Gitta knows that she will always be in our hearts as the sweet, spontaneous, cheerful girl who was always busy with everything she wanted to do while she smiled from ear to ear."
Ms. Scheenhouwer, born and raised in The Hague, traveled with her friend Thomas to Australia in May this year to follow the dream of the couple "to live Down Under for a couple of years", the family said in his statement.
After a visit to Sydney and Brisbane, they settled in Melbourne, where Ms. Scheenhouwer searched for work as a graduate architect.
"They were full of joy ahead in life while they enjoyed the trip, and they used every minute to the limit," said the family.
"Initially they explored the city as tourists, but after a while, Melbourne started to feel itself and began to feel like a hometown."
The couple embraced the city and they loved visiting St Kilda, the Queen Victoria Market and the South Melbourne market and trying every gelato store they could, according to the statement.
They enjoyed running in the Royal Botanic Gardens, around the Albert Park Lake and along the banks of the Yarra, took dance classes, visited buildings at Open House Melbourne and events in Melbourne Park and watch MasterChef on TV.
The family said that cycling was "something that Gitta always liked to do".
"She was so happy when she bought her new bike to discover Melbourne even more," the statement said.
"Gitta and Thomas really lived their dream in Melbourne."
A few days before she was killed, and within two months of arriving in Melbourne, Scheenhouwer came to work as a graduate architect.
"For her, this was the best feeling in the world," said the family.
"From then on it was time to focus and start working in the industry that she loved." What most people thought was impossible and only dared to dream, Gitta was successful.
"Getting everything from something was always what Gitta did best: she enjoyed life and lived it 100% and more.
"The wonderful dream in which Gitta lived for two months ended in a tragic way on Sunday [August 12]. She drove a pushbike to a place she liked to go. & # 39;
Mrs Scheenhouwer's mother and sister traveled to Melbourne today to visit the death of Thomas and his brother and father.
Cyclists take part in a memorial ride for Mrs Scheenhouwer tomorrow morning and stop at half past eight in the morning at the corner of the Chapel and Grosvenor streets in South Yarra to remember "a beautiful life that should never have been lost".
Riders meet at the end of Chapel Street on the Windsor and Yarra rivers before cycling to the meeting point.
Subjects:
disasters and accidents,
accidents,
away,
vic,
south yara-3141,
melbourne-3000
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