Moments of Daniel Morcombe's young life were celebrated in this touching tribute, chosen by family to be shown at his funeral service.
IN the arms of his brothers Dean and Bradley, Daniel Morcombe has been carried towards his final resting place.
Thousands wept and hugged as they watched Daniel's final procession to the strains of the emotion-charged Elton John song that shares his name.
Hundreds of students stood shoulder to shoulder with friends, Daniel Morcombe Foundation supporters, SES, police and complete strangers in a special guard of honour.
Tears that had been welling for 90 minutes during the farewell ceremony finally flowed as Daniel was taken away for a private burial service at Woombye Cemetery, just a few hundred metres from his childhood home.
Bruce Morcombe, as he had done so many times before, put his arm around wife Denise to comfort her and help her walk as they followed the procession.
As the vehicles pulled away under police escort, the crowd began to clap in a final show of support for the boy who launched a child safety revolution.
During the service, Bruce Morcombe implored the thousands of people gathered on the Sunshine Coast to focus on the good that followed the "evil act" that took his son Daniel.
"A moment in time that will live with all of us forever occurred nine years ago today," Mr Morcombe said.
"Please do not be sad. Appreciate that the evil act which took Daniel happened a long time ago. Today is about embracing his return to family and being reflective of what might have been," he said.
"Do we dwell on what we have lost or accept the space we are in and find some positives?
Daniel Morcombe's casket is carried from St Catherine of Siena Catholic church on the Sunshine Coast. Picture: Glenn Barnes
"He may no longer with us but Daniel's legacy lives on. The Daniel Morcombe Foundation is committed to doing all we can to ensure this never happens again by educating children on ways to keep safe and supporting young victims of crime."
See more pictures from the funeral here
Mr Morcombe paid tribute to police, SES volunteers, media, government and business leaders, Daniel's former schools and the broad community for never forgetting Daniel.
He also made special mention of the efforts of West Australian Police and the Queensland Coroner "for getting us to where we are today".
Daniel loved lasagne, animals and trying to ride "harder, higher and faster" than his brothers on his motocross bike, his big brother said.
Delivering one of several eulogies at this morning's funeral service, Dean Morcombe, 24, told of the special bond between Daniel and his twin Bradley, now 22.
"They shared many secrets. Living on acreage we had a few ponies and they would ride their favourites - Bullet and Sorrento," Dean said.
"They were great friends, often getting into mischief or blaming each other as the reason why their room was so untidy. What are brothers for?
"The three of us shared a passion for motocross bikes but in addition he loved his animals. Mittens the cat and Chief our dog are too no longer with us, but Bullet enjoys retirement on our Tasmanian property.
Daniel Morcombe's casket is carried from St Catherine of Siena Catholic church on the Sunshine Coast. Picture: Glenn Barnes
"Daniel also enjoyed the company of his friends - sharing a movie or going to the shops. He enjoyed food with lasagne his favourite. It was also recommended you don't stand between him and a birthday cake."
Read the eulogies in full here
Christmas presents Daniel Morcombe never had the chance to open were placed on his casket in an emotional tribute.
Daniel's parents Bruce and Denise placed the gifts, along with their son's Year 9 report card, which he did not see as it arrived the day after he disappeared, and a school photo taken in 2003.
The Requiem Mass at St Catherine's Church on the grounds of Siena Catholic College where Daniel went to school, is being attended by thousands of people wearing red.
Father Jan Bialasiewicz said Bruce and Denise were finally able to put their son Daniel to rest.
Shortly before the service, former Queensland Police commissioner Bob Atkinson paid tribute to the courage of Bruce and Denise Morcombe as thousands prepare to farewell their son Daniel this morning.
Showers have eased and a sea of red, the colour that has become a symbol for the child safety campaign that followed Daniel's disappearance in 2003, is streaming into the grounds surrounding St Catherine's Church at Sippy Downs.
Families, students, friends, police, SES volunteers and hundreds who never met Daniel but were touched by his loss are among those attending.
Bruce Morcombe speaks at the funeral for his son Daniel, held at St Catherine of Siena Catholic church, Sippy Downs on the Sunshine Coast. Thousands more mourners were gathered outside. Picture: Glenn Barnes
Outside the church, Mr Atkinson was full of praise for the Morcombe family.
"Out of this tragedy there have been great displays of courage, character and resilience. It's not dissimilar to what we saw in the 2010 summer of storms," he said.
Mr Atkinson said that while the Morcombes were still going through difficult times, it was some comfort they now knew where Daniel was.
"Not knowing would unthinkable ... the worst nightmare for any parent. We were able to provide an answer to that question."
Mr Atkinson said police tried their best not to get emotional so they could be objective and do their jobs, but conceded like many others he "could not help be touched by this".
See more pictures from the funeral here
Overnight, it was reported that Daniel James Morcombe was a brave boy who made his parents proud.
Today, as Bruce and Denise Morcombe lay their son to rest, they hope he is proud of them - and they want the world to remember the life he lived.
His first steps. His favourite stuffed toy, old bear. His love of all creatures great and small.
The family of Daniel Morcombe gather for his funeral at St Catherine of Siena Catholic church in Sippy Downs on the Sunshine Coast. Picture: Glenn Barnes
His quiet, loving nature with a little bit of mischief and a large dose of strength and determination.
These are just some of the things that set Daniel apart, making him so special to his family and friends.
"All of us have gained strength from Daniel," Mr Morcombe told The Courier-Mail.
"He was a loving son, trusted friend and a good kid who enjoyed life.
"I think the Australian public have taken and embraced that little boy because of his eyes and his smile. In every photo they pick up, there's that happy kid.
"They have always wondered what happened to that boy in the red T-shirt.
"We are all better people for having Daniel come into our lives.
"He wasn't able to grow up into a young man but he had special qualities - he was very loyal and very loving.
"He was a cherished family member."
The funeral for Daniel Morcombe Funeral at St Catherine of Siena Catholic church, Sippy Downs on the Sunshine Coast. Thousands more mourners were gathered outside. Picture: Glenn Barnes
This week, Mrs Morcombe shared her memories of Daniel, reminiscing about his christening on a freezing winter's day in Melbourne in 1990, childhood toys and the last present he gave her before he disappeared.
"In Year 9, Daniel made a wooden box at school and gave it to me," she said.
"One day he said: 'Are you going to use it?'
"I said: 'Yes, one day I'll put some special things in it.'
"Little did I know. It's now filled with his special things."
His special things include drawings, letters and a toy motocross bike.
Mrs Morcombe still has Daniel's favourite stuffed toy.
"That was old bear. He loved old bear," she said.
"He was sewn and stitched and hot-glued back together. It's seen better days. The bear probably has a few stories."
Bruce and Denise Morcombe in their garden at home on the Sunshine Coast.
Mrs Morcombe said Daniel was an affectionate son - he would pick flowers for his mum to show how much he loved her - and inseparable from twin, Bradley. They were born eight weeks premature on December 19, 1989.
"Daniel and Bradley were always together," she said. "They were a bit mischievous. Bradley was always the bigger talker. Daniel was a lot quieter and Bradley used to talk for him too.
"A couple of weeks after their first birthday they walked.
"I think Bradley walked first but they were pretty much at the same time."
Daniel also loved animals, especially his miniature horse called Bullet, and was always cradling their cats.
"When they were babies I had to shoo the cat out of their room because I was afraid he'd sleep on them," she said.
Thousands will gather on the Sunshine Coast today to celebrate Daniel's legacy and remember the short life of a boy who touched the heart of a nation, inspired a child-safety revolution and gave his parents the strength to go on. Daniel will be farewelled at Siena Catholic College, where the diligent student harboured dreams of one day becoming a vet.
GALLERY: The Daniel Morcombe story
The day after Daniel disappeared while waiting for a bus at Woombye nine years ago, his father made a vow.
In their own words, the treasured moments in Daniel's life that Bruce and Denise Morcombe most vividly remember; birth, first day at school, presents for mum, family holidays and birthday parties. Only in today's print edition of The Courier-Mail.
"On the evening of Monday December 8, 2003, I silently promised to him I would never give up," Mr Morcombe said.
Today they will finally bury their boy, who was at the centre of Australia's highest-profile missing person's case, after almost a decade of searching.
"Even though we've had years and years of mental preparation, suddenly we had to go to a funeral director and have a look at a coffin and organise flowers and pick a grave plot at a cemetery," Mr Morcombe said.
"Even though we had years of knowing 'well, he isn't coming home' we had never done any of that - not one bit.
"It's horrible doing that for your own child.
"It's still bad preparing a funeral for an elderly parent but you know that's part of life's cycle.
"For a kid it's not the way it should be."
Beneath the Morcombes' bravery and behind their child-safety crusade remains their private pain.
Mr Morcombe urged others not to be sad about what was undoubtedly for them the saddest homecoming.
A look at the eight year crusade to find a missing son.
He has tried to remain positive as he wrote a eulogy and steeled himself to deliver it at a service that will be beamed into living rooms around the country.
"I have probably been a better father to Daniel in the last nine years than I was in his first 14," he said.
"It is a sad reflection but I, like most fathers, wish I had spent more one-on-one time with him and cherished those moments.
"This has been a huge motivating factor in my relentless search for the truth."
EDITORIAL: Morcombes in our thoughts
While Mr Morcombe appears stoic, dignified and patient, Mrs Morcombe's eyes reflect her perpetual torment.
The past 12 months have delivered her the answers she feared. She will no longer search for Daniel's face in the crowd.
"I've been pretty sad all week," she said.
"It's something that we wanted but not something you look forward to.
This photo was published on the official Daniel Morcombe Foundation Facebook page on August 12 2012 by Denise Morcombe, with the message: "Wanted to keep my favorite photo till we had a funeral but waiting is forever, this is a photo taken of Dan at school which we were given after the arrest that we hadn't seen until then Denise x"
"I'm not looking forward to walking into that church and seeing the casket there. When they carry Daniel out - that's going to be the saddest part."
Last week Daniel was brought home to the Sunshine Coast after his family was granted permission to receive his remains.
The significant development followed months of legal wrangling over which authority had the final say on whether Daniel's remains could be released.
Brett Peter Cowan, 43, has been charged with child stealing, deprivation of liberty, indecent treatment, murder and interfering with a corpse.
His committal hearing was yesterday adjourned until February.
His lawyers said he intended to plead not guilty to all charges.
SPECIAL PRESENTATION: Behind the search for Daniel Morcombe
The Morcombes, whose lives were irrevocably changed on this day nine years ago, said their blue-eyed boy with the beautiful smile would not be forgotten.
"We've got to look at some positives going forward and the foundation is Daniel's legacy," Mr Morcombe said.
RED HONOUR: People attending Daniel Morcombe's public funeral service today have been urged by his family to wear a touch of red.
They said they could at least take comfort from knowing their son would now, finally, rest in peace.
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