A town in mourning

The community of Stanwell Tops has been shattered by the death of much-loved local Daniel Rowlands.

Daniel, 20, was thrown from his road bike in Unanderra on the way to take his provisional rider license test and died from his injuries after being rushed to hospital.

Daniel’s father Merv Rowlands told the Wollongong and Northern Leader his son was an inspiration, even as a child.

“He was a little kid who was my inspiration because I wished I could have been like him,” he said from his Stanwell Tops home on Monday.

“I wish I could have that outlook on life and that smile and that disposition.

“I think he inspired lots of people.”

Mr Rowlands had a very close relationship with his son, with whom he shared a passion for adventure sports and motorbikes.

“We were close, you know. We spent countless hours, days, weeks, months (rock) climbing together.

“We did most of our climbing together on the same rope, having our lives in each other’s hands – we weren’t strangers, we were best mates and we spent an enormous amount of time together.”

Mr Rowlands had recently taken his son to buy his first road bike, and the pair had planned to travel to Phillip Island with their bikes to watch the Grand Prix and ride together later in the year.

He said Daniel was at a high point before he died.

“Life couldn’t have been better; he was going to Wollongong Uni doing mining engineering and he absolutely loved that and had such good friends and he was on top of the world,” he said.

Daniel is survived by his parents Merv and Karen and his younger sister Kathryn, who is 18.

The Stanwell Tops community is taking it hard, Mr Rowlands said.

“Everyone we see is shattered,” he said. “He was a bit of a larger than life kid and it’s just disbelief – you just can’t believe Daniel is just not there, it doesn’t seem possible.”

Daniel Rowland’s funeral was held on Saturday, August 9.

Around 400 people attended.