Maxine Murdoch said her son, 29, a builder who had moved back to his hometown from Christchurch six months ago, was into hunting, fishing, hiking and golf.
However, it was while pursuing another of his passions, four-wheel driving, that he died near Cowshed Hut, about 20km west of Kingston in the Eyre Forest Conservation Area, last Thursday evening.
Tom grew up in Queenstown from the age of 3 after the family moved there from Australia, she said.
He attended Queenstown Primary School and Wakatipu High School.
His friends were already making plans to erect a plaque in his memory at Cowshed Hut.
She was grateful for the response of the Lumsden police, and the Southland Land Search and Rescue volunteers who went to the scene, she said.
In a social media post about her son's death on Saturday, Mrs Murdoch said she would "miss you forever".
"I am not sure how life will look going forward; we feel blessed having such amazing family and friends."
A memorial service for Mr Murdoch will be held at City Impact Church, Frankton, on Friday at 11am.
In a media statement yesterday, Senior Sergeant Pete Graham of Winton police said inquiries into the circumstances of the crash were ongoing.
