EMILY LONGLEY'S devastated father spoke about his “beautiful, life-loving” daughter before leaving New Zealand for the UK.

Mark Longley said “we just want to be with her” before embarking on the long journey to Dorset in the search for information about his daughter’s death.

“We're incredibly upset. It’s a tragic loss of such a beautiful, life-loving girl, and we’re dealing with that,” said Mr Longley.

“We're absolutely distraught and we just want to be with her.”

He said he had very little information about how Emily died.

“We have to wait. I know nothing more than what was in the police statement, and it's quite possible that by the time I land there might be more information in terms of what happened to Emily,” he said.

“We’re just letting the police investigate the circumstances. In terms of where we go from here, we’re still halfway around the world.”

Emily’s fellow students at Brockenhurst College returned to classes yesterday without a classmate they described as a great girl who had always put them in a good mood.

“It was only Friday that we saw you in class,” wrote Esme Porter on Facebook.

“I can’t even believe this has happened – I didn't get to say bye.”

Charlie Banks said he used to spend all day in classes with Emily in a business national diploma course.

“It’s been a really tough couple of days and a massive shock to all of us,'' he said.

“We came to become very good friends in class and I will remember her for always being happy and putting me in a good mood.”

In New Zealand, Emily had been a keen rower, competing for both Westlake Girls High School and Takapuna Grammar School. She juggled daily practices with her work as a model, including two fashion photoshoots with Creme.

Former Westlake rowing captain Shanice Duggan-Keefe, 18, said Emily had begun rowing during her first year of high school and continued after she transferred to Takapuna Grammar.

“She was honestly like the sun – always so bright and bubbly,” he said.

They used to sing Britney Spears songs while travelling on vans to regattas, where the team from the girls' school would check out all the boys.

Emily had matured tremendously during her time in Britain, Ms Duggan-Keefe said.

Rowing Society chairman Neil Connolly said Emily had even grown up in appearance since she had gone abroad.

“She was always one nice kid,” he said.