Like many young backpackers, she dreamed of a life of fun and adventure in sunny Australia.
But these are the last pictures of the tragic French surfing champion Poéti Norac, who died suddenly while on the Sunshine Coast.
The 24-year-old model died after moving to Australia for a trip-of-a-lifetime to pursue her surfing dream, which had already seen her scoop national trophies.
The popular athlete had been working and travelling in the country for more than a year, moving around the east coast and even enjoyed a trip to Tahiti.
In an emotional social media post just months before her death, Ms Norac told friends to ‘keep doing what you love’.
‘No matter how many times you “fail”, how many “mistakes” you make, you are not wasting your time,’ she said.
‘You are learning. And as long as you keep doing what you love with passion and working hard for what you really want, it’s always worth it in the end.’
Ms Norac (pictured) littered her social media pages with pictures of her Australian adventure, spending days enjoying the beaches on the east coast
Ms Norac (pictured enjoying the waves in Noosa) was loving life on Australia’s east coast and had moved around Noosa and Byron Bay
The talented surfer (pictured, centre) had made a large group of friends up and down Australia’s east coast, even spending Christmas with them
She had spent the year enjoying the delights of Byron Bay, Noosa and the Sunshine Coast – backpacking hot spots known for their enviable surf conditions.
But tragedy struck as the aspiring athlete lost her life under mysterious circumstances last weekend.
Her devastated parents are understood to have left France for Australia on Thursday to recover their daughter’s body.
A childhood friend said the bright and bubbly surfer had ‘worn a happy mood for everybody’.
Emma Piart wrote a tribute to the athlete, saying said had come to Australia to pursue her ‘surfing passion’.
Ms Norac (pictured, right, with a friend in Tahiti last year) was enjoying her once-in-a-lifetime adventure and was exploring the country
The surf star – who had Tahitian and Vietnamese heritage – had even enjoyed a luxury break to the island of Tahiti in French Polynesia (pictured)
The surfer (pictured on a road trip in Surfers Paradise) was having the gap year adventure most young people dream of
‘For me it is a great suffering to lose a special sister with whom I’d grown up with,’ she said.
‘We will remember her laugh and her good mood she wore for everybody.’
But in a question and answer video posted to YouTube, Ms Norac hinted there was a darker side to her year of adventure in Australia.
‘I would recommended that my previous boss goes out of his comfortable little bubble, so he might understand that backpackers also deserve respect, as every human does’, she said in the cryptic video.
She had worked in a gardening centre potting plants during her backpacking adventure, but had also looked for farm work to secure her second year’s working holiday visa.
Ms Norac (pictured, right, at a Byron Bay cafe with a friend) had made a huge group of mates on Australia’s east coast who are devastated by her death
In a poetic social media post, Ms Norac told followers to ‘just breathe’ and that ‘no matter what happens, you will be okay’
The talented surfer and model (pictured) had been doing odd-jobs to support her backpacking lifestyle and was an ambassador for a French surf brand
Ms Norac said the job was ‘pretty boring’ as she was doing the ‘same thing every day’, but was happy to be able to improve her English skills.
She had been a major player in French surfing, coming second in the national championships in 2018 and third in 2016.
A statement by the French Surfing Federation said the sport had lost a ‘young and talented’ surfer who had spread her ‘passion’ for the sport.
Ms Norac had started surfing with her father at the age of six, taking to the sea in the coastal town of Les Sables d’Olonne.
Ms Norac (pictured on her surfboard in the Sunshine Coast) had been a major player in French surfing, coming second in the national championships in 2018 and third in 2016
The surfer (pictured, right) had become a regular in the surf of Sunshine Beach and other backpacker hotspots, sharing pictures of her idyllic life online
The French surf star (pictured, front) shared her passion for the sport with many people she met on Australia’s east coast
After initially surfing on a shortboard, she later took up longboarding and had been competing in that discipline for 10 years.
‘The surfing community has lost a family member, a beautiful person with a radiant smile, an artist on her board and whose enthusiasm radiated in the Vendée [region] and everywhere else,’ the federation said.
It also hailed her as an ‘outstanding educator’ who ‘transmitted her passion for surfing and the ocean’.
A ceremony will be held to celebrate her life, the federation said, offering ‘sincere condolences’ to her family and friends.
Ms Norac (pictured, right) took to the waves at every opportunity in Australia, and shared pictures of her adventures online
A passionate adventurer, Ms Norac (pictured) had spent time in Australia, Mexico and Tahiti, and often posted pictures of her adventures