Happy, kind and simply loving life.

That is how the mum of 22-year-old Jade Fox, from Maidstone, who died in an accident in Australia on Friday, has described her.

Jade, a former Valley Park School pupil, was in Fraser Island in Queensland when the crash happened.

It is understood she was fatally injured when the four-wheel drive vehicle she was travelling in overturned at around 2pm on Friday. She was wearing a seatbelt at the time.

Her mother, Melanie, 46, said: "She was just so happy and kind and fun-loving. She loved her life and loved her travelling.

"She was very kind. It didn't matter who you were or how old you were, she just made friends with people.

"The last message I had from her was that she couldn't wait for the trip to Fraser Island and how excited she was. She'd got up really early and had pancakes for breakfast."

Mrs Fox said she had been overwhelmed with the number of messages she had had from those who had known her daughter. "There are just hundreds of them," she said.

Jade had been on the trip to Australia with three friends - best friend, Grace Dilley, Jamie Atkins and Remmi Sexton. She and Grace were so close they were known as "Grade".

They were planning to spend a year living and working in Australia before going travelling. Grace and Remmi were in the vehicle at the time of the crash.

During their six months abroad, animal lover Jade she had seen a turtle and held a jellyfish, and cuddled a koala.

She had planned to spend Christmas Down Under, but was due to return in August next year for a family holiday to the Lake District. She was the middle of three sisters, with elder sister Yasmine, 24, and 19-year-old Amy.

With an adventurous spirit, she had been sky diving and had planned to bungee jump. She'd also been keen on the nightlife in Maidstone.

Born in Maidstone, Jade had attended Madginford Infants and Juniors before going to Valley Park, and had worked at Top Shop and at House of Fraser, both in Fremlin Walk.

Mrs Fox's best friend, who was at Jade's birth, Stephanie Jobling, said: "She was amazing. She was a lovely girl. She just lit up the room. People who'd just met her loved her. She touched everybody."

On Tuesday Jade had spoken of her excitement at the trip to Fraser Island, posting on her Facebook page: "Up early doors to travel Frazer Island for three days."

Australian police are investigating the cause of the accident, in which seven other passengers were also injured.

Jade's father, Chris, is to travel to Queensland later this week to bring his daughter's body home.