Remember that old joke about cemeteries - people are dying to get in there? This is that place the…read morejokes were talking about, a huge, sprawling, beautiful cemetery on pristine land with it's own private beach. Not that, y'know, the residents are into swimming or anything. They're not really the active types. But they've got great views. It's a supremely peaceful place, with a serene vibe and acres of land laid out in a calm, rolling fashion. You can even drive through the cemetery in your car, there are roads between all the different areas. At the top there's a crematorium, a mausoleum, and off to one side family crypt if you've got the family thing going on. It's also on the shores of Yarra Bay, with beaches and refineries off in the distance, and planes taking off from the airport silhouetted against the sunset. Just luvverly.

Although going for a sad occasion this venue is very peaceful and has a beautiful picturesque…read moreoutlook

Hey! Who hid this sneaky little bad boy back here?…read more Often, when I was sailing three sheets to the wind at the Newtown Festival, with a sauce-laden haute dog in one hand and a cold damned beer in t'other, I'd look up at the big grey bulwark of a wall, stained and monolithic, huge and ancient, and wonder what was on the other side. Narnia, most probably. But damned if I didn't find out the answer just by accident. Had a meeting up on King St. Parked down the side street near St Stephens. Had some time to kill (hey look, a cemetery pun) and wandered in to look at the church but overshot, ending in this quiet, sprawling, crumbling, beautifully decrepit graveyard bounded by the wall, yes, the bulwark, beyond which is Newtown's celebrated park, that very festival site where I've seen so many bands and tried on so many hats. Jeebus it's got a lot going for it. I was the only one in there, wandering around reading the gravestones (my favourite had a big rusty propeller, was erected by the mates of some shipbuilder that died, possibly tragically) and all I could think was, Man, if I was in a band this is where I'd shoot my music video. I walked out feeling cool, calm and collected, like the Dalai Lama must feel every day of his life. That feeling is hard to get these days.

In the middle of busy, grimy Newtown is this beautiful walled cemetery in the grounds of St…read moreStephen's Church. It offers peace and tranquility where you never thought you would find it. There are plenty of shady trees and tombstones, with lush grass interweaving a path between them. An oasis where you can't hear traffic noise or see anything commercial, it's a great place to get away from it all. You will find people wandering through and reading the inscriptions, walking their dog, sitting in a circle playing music, smoking the funny stuff and generally just hanging out. It's my favourite place to come the day after the night before with something greasy from King Street (eg Clem's Chicken) and let nature restore my health.

Paul and Mariana at Paul Lahood Funeral Services made all the planning and preparation of my Dad's…read morefuneral service a breeze which was especially comforting to our family. They called me 10 minutes after I left an enquiry on their website, booked the service at Rookwood Catholic Crematorium 13 minutes later, and came to our home to discuss all the details a couple of hours after that. We signed a release form 5 minutes into their visit that got picked up by one of their staff who then proceeded to pick up my dad for transport to their premises in Greenacre. They were so compassionate and understanding, we could feel the genuine care and respect shown to us during such a difficult and sad time. They arranged everything from transporting my dad from Nepean Hospital to his clothes, booking the service quickly and efficiently

My parents were vacationing in Australia when my father had a heart attack. He fought hard, but…read morepassed away. At one of the lowest points in life, we needed to figure out how to get dad back home to the USA for burial. By chance, we found Mark Mills, the repatriation manager at AMAR. This man is absolutely amazing. He made one of the hardest times in life just a little bit easier. He walked us through the entire process and even took care of some steps that would have been difficult for us, both as foreigners and as mourners. He added a human touch to the funeral business and my family will be forever grateful for what he did to help us and how he put a caring, human face to this tragedy that we were going through.

Not an ideal establishment to use or visit, however if the time comes this funeral home is…read morefantastic. They have handled the funerals for my mum and grandmother with full professionalism and quality coffins, and is another popular establishment that has stood the test of time and will continue to do so. A few years ago I was invited to a funeral which was held on site here at Manning's. It was different and moved away from those church based funerals. There were just a few of us scatted in a circle in the outdoor area (nobody is allowed to come inside) and despite being on a busy main road connecting to the city; the funeral was still private, yet professional and respectful. The person at Manning's conducting the service was poised, graceful and respectful of our feelings. Sadly this service may be needed again in the future; not that this is something we want to think about; however when it is needed - Manning's is a great choice. It has been freshly painted since, yet they still keep the white theme with some hints of purple. Beautiful and well maintained building as well. A great locale to pay your respects and say goodbye to loved one's in style away from the church.

Recently I was placed in the situation of having to arrange my partners funeral. There were so many…read morethings to take into account including the fact that members of both my family, as well as my partners, were overseas and unable to attend his service, but wanted to share in the celebration of his life. I did a little looking on Google and found that of the 2 specialist Funeral Photography services available, Craig from Funeral Photographer appeared to have more "on the ground" experience with funerals, so I decided to go with his services and I am so glad I did. Craig was professional, courteous and very empathetic to our particular service, and most of all was unobtrusive. His knowledge of the funeral industry was evident from the very start as he knew the funeral directors very well and liaised with them as well as the clergy, and other than the initial introduction with us, remained out of the way of the main portion of the service at our church, the graveside service as well as the wake that followed afterwards.....yet he still managed to get amazing images of every one who attended, the important and moving parts of the service as well as the following party. About 10 days later I received a disc of images as well as a video file to music of the day and I have forwarded copies to family and friends world wide and the response has been simply amazing. I now have beautiful permanent memories of my partners service that I will truly treasure for many years to come. I cannot thank Craig from Funeral Photographer enough and I have no hesitation in recommending his services to any family that requires them

She's seen a few winters, this ol' girl. A few summers, too. And sure she looks her age, but what…read morebeachside stalwart doesn't? All that salt air and buffeting wind is good for the soul but you're bound to show a few cracks here and there, and a few other places besides. Regular beachgoers won't know how much a part of the community this place is, there's function rooms where kids learn karate, a resident theatre troop (the Bondi Rock Surfers) and tons of events throughout the year, from pop-up bars to an ice skating rink to open-air cinema to Bondi Feast Festival. There's talk every year of a mega refurb, but who knows when that'll happen. Long may she reign.

Bondi Pavilion is a bastion of community arts and cultural centres everywhere. They have such…read morecreative ideas and make great use of the deco-esque venue, I frequently get excited about some new programme they have coming up. The Pavilion plays host to annual events like Festival of The Winds, Beats on The Beach on NYE, the South American Festival, Flickerfest, Bondi Open Air Cinema and many other cool cultural activities. As well it is home to a Gallery, Marine Centre, an amphitheatre as well as an indoor theatre, classes, a youth programme... you get the idea. Various local businesses are lucky enough to be housed under its high ceilings and ever-importantly, if you're looking for a bathroom, changing room or locker on Bondi Beach this is where you'll find them.

Therese and Karen at Lady Anne Funerals provided a warm and professional service arranging my…read moremother's funeral. During such a stressful time, they were incredibly informative about how to handle the paperwork, which was a huge relief. I also had a specific vision for the service booklet; they were patient and worked with me until it was perfect, including my very specific choice of fonts. If you are looking for a compassionate and professional team, I heartily recommend them.