BEAUTIFUL BOY: Harrison Kadell poses for a happy snap at Brisbane airport before heading to Plantation Island resort in Fiji for Schoolies. Source: The Courier-Mail
HARRISON Kadell's face beams as he boards a flight to Fiji on a Schoolies adventure a world away from the streets of Surfers Paradise.
But now, less than two weeks short of his 18th birthday, Harrison Kadell's parents are grappling with the loss of their "beautiful boy".
They thought a post-school celebration in Fiji was a safe choice, away from the streets of Surfers Paradise and the bars of Bali.
Paying tribute to her son, Mrs Kadell told The Courier-Mail in Fiji that Harrison was "really special".
"I know every mother says that, but he really was," she said.
"He was good at school, he was good at sports.
"He wanted to be an outdoor adventure guide, he wanted to be a snowboard instructor.
"He could have been anything."
Holiday makers at Plantation Island Resort in Fiji. Australian Harrison Kadell died at the resort in the early hours of Tuesday. PIC: Leon Lord
As tributes flowed, questions were levelled at the organisers of the Fiji Unleashed festival about supervision of the schoolies at the Plantation Island resort.
Event officials would not comment on security measures but it is understood 10 police officers and 40 security guards are on patrol.
Unleashed company managing director Jot Lynas said a support network had been established for Harrison's friends and family.
"We're all deeply saddened by this tragic accident," Mr Lynas said.
"Our priority now is with the family and providing counselling and caring for those affected."
Mrs Kadell told The Courier-Mail Fiji had seemed like the safest option for the Schoolies festival.
Australian students relaxing at the pool at Plantation Island Resort yesterday. PIC: Leon Lord
She said there was "no control" in Bali and there could be "trouble" on the Gold Coast.
"I checked out Fiji and it seemed great," she said.
"I did a lot of research on sites like TripAdvisor, I looked up the company that runs the event and there were very good reports."
Vice-captain at Sunnybank's St Thomas More College, Harrison was yesterday acknowledged for his sporting abilities but also his likeability and efforts to help others.
St Thomas More College principal Peter Elmore posted a message and tribute on the school's webpage.
"I can vividly remember Harrison Kadell standing proudly and tall at his graduation," the message read.
"He was young man who had the soul, personal integrity and skills to achieve success in an ever-changing world. We will remember him for his contribution and commitment to his friends, family and this College."
Other schoolies on Plantation Island told The Courier-Mail they chose Fiji over the traditional party centre of Surfers Paradise for a more relaxed and safer experience.
"It's terrible what happened because it's so beautiful here," said one NSW schoolie from Sydney.
"It's a lot safer than staying in Queensland and going to Surfers Paradise."
Local authorities have been reluctant to comment on the tragedy, which has the potential to impact on Fiji's vital tourism industry.
As tributes flowed, questions were raised about supervision at the Unleashed Festival in Fiji, and how Harrison was left to drown in the resort pool at 4am.
Event officials have refused to comment on security measures at the festival, but it's believed to be patrolled by 10 police officers and about 40 security guards.
It is not clear if any were on patrol when Harrison died. Seven of his mates were being counselled yesterday.
Mrs Kadell described her son as "really special - he could have been anything".
Schoolies celebrations have been held on Plantation Island for the past five years and the event had been controversy-free.
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Sorrow behind the beauty
IT IS hard to imagine a place with such a magic sunset casting such a dark shadow.
Fiji's Plantation Island, an hour's ferry from the Pacific nation's main land mass of Viti Levu, is about as close to picture-perfect paradise as you are likely to get.
Spread out over several hectares, the sprawling resort is a world away from the human sardine tin of Schoolies on the Gold Coast, where Cavill Avenue and the designated Schoolies entertainment hub heave with more than 20,000 teens.
Most of the schoolies on the island are from the southern states and while they had heard of Harrison's death, few knew any more details than those swirling around social media.
Usually, those arriving at the Plantation Island Resort jetty are greeted with famous Fijian hospitality - a gently strummed guitar and a lei around the neck.
Barefoot beach bars let guests relax with a drink in hand and sand between the toes.
If the crystal clear waters of the ocean aren't enough to entice you for a dip, three swimming pools are scattered around the island.
Bungalows, called bures in Fiji, are hidden in clusters amongst the palm trees throughout the resort while schoolies are also kept amused with a host of outdoor activities.
There was a heavy police and security presence around the resort, which is currently home to more than 500 schoolies from Australia.
Fijian authorities, jittery about negative media at the best of times, are fearful of a backlash against the country's vital yet fragile tourism industry.
It all adds up to a near-total absence of officials wishing to comment on the tragedy.
Officials from both Plantation Island and the Unleashed Schoolies festival, which dominates the island for two weeks each year, were reluctant to offer any comment, saying the ongoing police investigation makes it inappropriate to fuel speculation.
Officials yesterday agreed to allow media to take a closely guarded tour of the Plantation Island Resort, before it was again placed off-limits.
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Safer in Surfers, says Coast lawyer
PARENTS should feel safer sending their children to Schoolies celebrations on the Gold Coast rather than overseas, says the head of the Glitter Strip's end-of-school party.
Mark Reaburn, a lawyer who chairs the Gold Coast Schoolies Advisory Group, said the huge police, security and volunteer presence at the Surfers Paradise celebrations made it safer than destinations such as Bali and Fiji where Australian school-leavers have died.
"If it was my child, I'd want to keep them on the Gold Coast because of all the safety mechanisms in place," he said.
Mr Reaburn did just that, with both his children attending Schoolies on the Coast.
"My daughter went last year and my son was there in 2009. I had no problem with my kids going there."
Mr Reaburn said hundreds of police and paramedics kept watch over the Coast's Schoolies celebrations, backed by about 1200 staff and volunteers.
Brisbane school-leaver Isabelle Colman died in a Surfers Paradise high-rise fall during last month's Schoolies festival, although police said there were no suspicious circumstances.
However, some high-rise managers are planning to lock balcony doors during next year's Schoolies to prevent a repeat of the tragedy.
Almost 160 schoolies and more than 322 non-schoolies were arrested on 623 charges in the first main week of this year's Schoolies celebrations.
However, senior police said arrests were more than 40 per cent down on five years ago and praised the overall behaviour of school-leavers.
They also said there had been a significant downturn in intoxication levels and violence.
Brisbane school-leaver Harrison Kadell was the second Australian to have died in Schoolies celebrations overseas in the last two years.
Last year, NSW teen Jake Flannery died after being electrocuted by a sign outside a Kuta nightclub while celebrating Schoolies in Bali.
Last month, News Ltd revealed the dark side of Schoolies celebrations in Bali, including older "toolies" preying on teenagers.
Additional reporting Greg Stolz
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