Ms Penberthy, 22, was on a four and a half month trip around the country and was travelling to the city of Swakopmund in an overland truck, driven by an Australian, when one of the wheel's broke off and caused the driver to lose control.

A friend she was travelling with, 27-year-old Jarrah Young from Queensland, also died after the accident.

Three other Australians sustained minor injuries and were later discharged from a local hospital.

She has been remembered by family and friends as an energetic daughter, sister and friend with the ability to "light up a room with her smile".

Sarah began her trip on October 21, 2011 and her father Stuart Penberthy said she was only a few weeks away from coming home.

"It's something you alays have fears about as a parent," he said.

Mr Penberthy said he, Sarah's mother Michele and brother and sister were shell-shocked by her death and were getting by, day by day.

"The community is really helping us out," Mr Penberthy said.

Sarah had climbed a part of Mount Kilimanjaro and driven through Ethiopia on her trip, but Mr Penberthy said it basically came down to a common car accident.

"She loved life and couldn't stay still...she had what I called 'the Sarah smile' where she could light up a room," he said.

Ms Penberthy was school captain at Macintyre High in 2007 and was actively involved in the school.

She recently graduated from the Queensland University of Technology and became a registered nurse at Brisbane's Wesley Hospital.

Her best friend Lynsey Anderson said she will miss Sarah deeply and will remember her friend for the way she could brighten the world of anyone she came into contact with.

"She was an extremely vibrant, crazy and outgoing girl that lived life to it's absolute fullest," Ms Anderson said.

"Sari was the type of person that you always wanted to be with because of her fun loving nature and her ability to make you smile in the most difficult of times."

Ms Anderson said Sarah loved to travel and had been involved in an exchange trip to America in High School, and also toured Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos.

"If there was an adventure to be sought, Sar was in!" Ms Anderson said.

Facebook messages have flowed in since the young nurse's death, from friends and family expressing their grief.