Burial Services
Burial involves buying a burial plot, paying an interment fee (which covers the cost of digging the grave and ongoing maintenance) and usually buying a memorial of some kind, such as a headstone. For many people, the “unveiling” of the headstone is an important part of their grieving.
In New Zealand, apart from a few exceptional circumstances which your funeral director can tell you about, the places a person can be buried are limited by law to official cemeteries or Maori burial grounds. It is usually possible to buy double-depth plots to allow for a second interment. (An opening fee will apply for the second interment.) Burial fees are set by local councils.
Many family members appreciate having a grave to visit which they can use as a focus to make a connection with the person who has died – thinking about them, crying, talking to them, or tending their grave.
Cremation Services
Cremation provides greater flexibility when choosing a final resting place, since you are not restricted to specific places
of burial. Ashes can be buried in a cemetery or in special ashes memorial areas. Some families like to scatter them in a family plot or memorial garden, at sea, or in a favourite place. It is important in this case to be careful that the area you have chosen is not close to traditional Maori food-gathering grounds. Some people split the ashes and have a portion in one place and the rest somewhere else. Others keep ashes at home in special purpose urns.
What is Cremation?
The process of cremation is something people often wonder about. It comprises the casket, with the body inside, being placed in a cremator, which is like a very large metal box about the size of a small car. In some places it is possible for families to watch the casket being put into the cremator. The process of cremation takes place under very high temperatures, and generally takes between two and four hours. There is room for only one casket, and the ashes are taken from the cremator before it is used again, ensuring there is no chance of the ashes being mixed with others.
After cremation, the ashes are cremulated, or broken up. They are put into a simple container, usually made of plastic, which is about 30 centimetres long, and 15 centimetres deep.
Featured Services
Grief Support
There are many organisations in NZ that offer help and support for grief and trauma
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Pre-Planning
Take a few moments to express your wishes now and help to ease the burden on your loved ones.
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