The heartbroken fiance of Nirranda's Sean McKinnon spoke about meeting her soulmate while surfing.
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Holding back tears, Bianca Buckley shared how he spoke to her and "began to place flowers at the altar of my heart" during his funeral on Friday.
Ms Buckley said her fiance was "so alive", so fully present".
"He was so extraordinary he almost couldn't belong to this world," she said.
"Thank you for choosing me to walk alongside you on this earth."
Ms Buckley said Mr McKinnon, 33, taught her to slow down and "really drink in the moment".
"He taught me how to love unconditionally," she said.
Emmeline McKinnon read a eulogy about her brother written by their sister Mary at the packed service, which was held at Our Lady Help of Christians church.
She described their brother as a loveable larrikin, who never followed any rules.
His love of nature saw him begin to skip school in favour of spending time outdoors at the tender age of eight.
"He was a true free spirit," Ms McKinnon said.
"He danced the beat of his own drum."
Ms McKinnon said her brother had told his family that he skipped school that day to enjoy nature and "stare up at the clouds".
She said he loved surfing and playing music and watching him partake in these passions was "a thing of beauty".
"He was unique and unconventional but with a certain beauty," Ms McKinnon said.
Mr McKinnon said her brother met many lifelong friends when he started surfing at Port Campbell.
"They became his faithful companions when he was getting into and out of trouble," she said.
Ms McKinnon said her brother caught the travel bug at an early age and had a knack for getting himself into tricky situations.
She recalled receiving a call from him at 3am one night. "I need some money," he told her.
Ms McKinnon found out he wanted to buy a plane ticket to San Jose.
She found out - when she received her credit card statement - he had in fact bought two plane tickets.
"He bought a ticket to San Jose in California but he wanted to go to San Jose in Costa Rica," Ms McKinnon said.
She said family members became accustomed to receiving calls from him telling them he had lost his wallet, credit card or phone.
But Ms McKinnon said it was almost impossible to stay mad at him.
She said he had called to say he had been arrested, had lost his passport, phone or credit card but none of them every expected a phone call telling them he wouldn't be coming home.
Ms McKinnon said he easily misplaced things and believed her brother had more apple iPhones, Ray Ban sunglasses and credit cards than any other person on the planet.
She thanked the New Zealand Police and Victoria Police officers who had helped the family in the aftermath of the tragedy that saw their family member's life cut short.
"Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for everything you did for Sean and will continue to do," she said.
Ms McKinnon said her brother easily made friends with his laid-back nature and kind heart.
"He was loyal and had a beautiful calming nature," she said.
"The world needs more people like Sean in it."
Ms McKinnon said she and her family members would give anything in the world to have one last 3am phone call from Mr McKinnon.
"Nothing is ever going to replace you," she said.
"You were a beautiful anomaly that is never going to occur again."
A number of Mr McKinnon's friends also spoke at the funeral, saying he would be remembered for his ever-smiling face.
"He had some sort of special gift to light up a room. I always had to lend him a phone because he had given his to some stranger along with the shirt off his back.
"We will always remember your huge smile. We love you mate - rest easy."
Mr McKinnon was shot and killed while sleeping in a campervan in Raglan outside Hamilton in New Zealand.
Friends and family cheered as he embarked on his last journey in his beloved Kombi van to the Warrnambool cemetery.
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