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The distraught parents of a backpacker believed to have drowned on a world heritage-listed sand island off the Queensland<\/a> coast are visiting K\u2019gari as part of their journey to return the remains of Piper James to Canada.<\/p>\n Todd and Angela James touched down in Brisbane from Vancouver on Tuesday morning \u2013 the first stage of their emotional pilgrimage to K\u2019gari (formerly known as Fraser Island).<\/p>\n The couple declined to speak to press waiting at the airport, though Todd has expressed his grief on social media.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is now time to go to Australia to be with Piper, walk where she last walked, and try to feel the spirit of my baby girl in some way \u2013 we will return with Piper back home to Canada,\u201d he posted on Facebook.<\/p>\n The couple will visit K\u2019gari for a traditional smoking ceremony conducted by the island\u2019s Butchulla traditional owners later this week on the beach near the SS Maheno wreck where Piper was found in the early hours of 19 January<\/a> after she went for an early morning solo swim.<\/p>\n \u201cThis ceremony is important and cultural protocol for us and a way to bring calm to the land, acknowledge her spirit and offer the healing to all,\u201d the Butchulla Aboriginal Corporation director Christine Royan said.<\/p>\n Sign up: AU Breaking News email<\/sub><\/a><\/p>\n A coroner\u2019s preliminary assessment, released four days after James\u2019s death, found \u201cphysical evidence consistent with drowning\u201d as well as \u201cinjuries consistent with dingo bites\u201d, noting these were unlikely to have been fatal bites.<\/p>\n As of Tuesday afternoon that coroner was still \u201cawaiting pathology results to further assist in determining the cause of death of Piper James\u201d \u2013 a process expected to take several weeks.<\/p>\n Regardless, nine days ago, Queensland\u2019s environment minister, Andrew Powell, said an entire pack of 10 animals would be euthanised<\/a> \u2013 leading dingo experts to warn of an \u201cextinction vortex\u201d<\/a> for Australia\u2019s only native canid on the island where they have likely roamed for thousands of years.<\/p>\n