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Mystery Bali deaths haunt friends, family

· Family rejects Bali autopsy

Sunshine Coast mother and daughter Noelene and Yvana Bischoff played together and travelled together, but the mystery of how they died together in Bali lingers.

The pair died after becoming violently ill on Saturday, less than 24 hours after checking in to a beachfront resort on the holiday island.

There has been speculation they ate toxic fish and although Indonesian authorities have agreed for an autopsy to be done in Queensland, they also want to continue their investigation after finding 29 types of medication in the Bischoffs’ hotel room.

A family spokeswoman, however, says the Indonesian investigation isn’t expected to hold up the repatriation of the bodies for more than 48 hours.

The day before they died, the mother and daughter, 54 and 14, were seen seemingly fit and well at an elephant farm.

More than 400 mourners remembered them at a memorial service in Caloundra on Thursday, hearing that the two were inseparable from the start, when Noelene, a nurse, drove herself to hospital for Yvana’s birth.

Yvana’s words were heard at the service when a brief written assignment on her life was read by Noelene’s cousin and principal of her Caloundra Christian College, Mark Hodges.

She talks about her love of animals and her passion to become a horse vet, but her relationship with her mother is what truly shaped her.

“My mum is my greatest hero, she made me who I am today,” she wrote.

“She is amazing, simply amazing.

“She has been my biggest influence, she has taught me everything, how to talk – literally – and how to be a friend.”

Their bond was demonstrated early on when, as a baby, Yvana would scream at everyone but her mother.

“She was a bit of a handful for the first couple of years and only accepted Noelene,” brother-in-law Kevin Bowe said.

“She finally settled down and from there on they were the best of friends and it was a pleasure to be in their company.”

Noelene was a nurse at Caloundra hospital, but avoided promotions to dedicate time to her daughter and her mother, Jean.

Colleague Linda King said that most of the staff knew Yvana, who’d call to say good morning or good night when her mother worked shifts.

Ms King said of Noelene: “She brought grace, composure and competence to the most hairy situations.

“She didn’t live presuming she had time left over, she didn’t, they didn’t.”

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