The Victorian couple who died in a crash on the Bass Highway on Saturday have been remembered as pillars of their Filipino community, lovers of the great outdoors and devoted parents and Christians.
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Nathan David, a co-pastor at Loch Alive Christian Church at Loch Sport in Gippsland, and his wife Chei David, both aged 46, were on holiday in Tasmania with their three children Joshua, Charlize and Jude, when tragedy struck.
They had visited iconic locations in the days and moments leading up to the crash, including Cataract Gorge and Cradle Mountain, as they prepared to celebrate their 20th wedding anniversary on August 20.
Pastor Apollo Mijares, co-pastor at the church, said they were very close friends who had made a huge difference in their lives with their mission to the Philippines, and supporting families who arrive in Australia.
He said the couple came to Australia before the birth of their first son, Joshua, 18, and loved their time in Victoria.
"The main thing they wanted to do in Tasmania was to climb mountains, they really love mountains. They overcame all mountains in Victoria, so they wanted to do it in Tasmania," Pastor Mijares said.
"We followed their trip on Facebook and loved seeing their photographs. We were surprised on Saturday when there were no photos, then became worried.
"I thought they would survive - they are fighters. They will not accept any defeat. We are all really sorry."
The Filipino community in Gippsland is very close and supporting, Pastor Mijares said, and the Davids played a huge part in that.
"When Filipinos come to Australia, they don't have any friends. They would reach out and become friends," he said.
"They are really good people, they have a lot of connected groups and were making a huge difference in their lives.
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"They are really close friends of my family too."
Their children remain in a stable condition in the Launceston General Hospital and are expected to be released in the coming days to return to Victoria.
Pastor Mijares said the family would take care of the children, and the church community would hold a special service and event to remember the lives of Pastor Nathan and Chei.
Tasmania Police said the vehicle the David family was travelling in towards Devonport crossed the dividing line on the Bass Highway at Exton, colliding with an oncoming vehicle. The driver of that vehicle also sustained serious injuries.
An analysis of crash data on that stretch of Bass Highway found that the vast majority of crashes occur in areas without separation.
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