The Waverley community is reeling at the deaths of four elderly people in a horrific road smash.
Waverley lawn bowls clubmates have confirmed the four were Ian Porteous and his wife Rosalie Porteous, Ian's sister Ora Keene and close friend Brenda Williams.
The four were in one of two cars that collided in Waverley yesterday.
Three people were killed in the other car: Nivek Madams, 8, her baby sister Shady and her stepfather.
The four in the Porteous car were all associated with the Waverley Bowling Club. Denis Smith knew them well.
"We'll miss them terribly," he said today.
"It's a big hole in our club and words will never cover what we feel but we're all in shock at this stage. We'll all miss them terribly," he said.
"The club's only a very small club and that's a big hole in it."
Denis' wife Colleen Smith said the four were "lovely". "They were a great family. They were really great mates the whole four of them.
"It is just sad because two of them were still members of the club and one was a past [member]."
Colleen Smith said she had driven the school bus between Waverley and Patea for a number of years and was perplexed the crash happened where it did.
"There was nothing wrong with the road. You can't say it was the conditions because there was no frost, it was a beautiful day.
"I just think it was the wrong place at the wrong time.
"It's just really sad because everybody knew them."
Nivek Madams was the back-seat passenger in the car that crashed head-on with the Porteous' car, killing all of its occupants near Waverley Racecourse yesterday.
Hospital staff ensured Nivek's relatives could be by her side before she died.
Nivek's 5-month-old sister also died in the crash.
A family member said a phone was put to Nivek's ear in her hospital bed so her father, who is in prison, and other relatives could speak to her.
The 8-year-old was now with her baby sister Shady in heaven and the family was grieving the loss of their two "precious princesses".
Hospital staff told Nivek's family there was nothing more they could do to save her, as they scrambled to be by her bedside.
Family say there are two people who may have information but are yet to be located.