The cost of a weekend burial in South Waikato could be about to skyrocket - by 354% in some cases. Libby Kirkby-McLeod reports. CEO of the Funeral Directors Association, Gillian Boyes speaks to Lisa Owen.

Cost of burials set to skyrocket in South Waikato

News & Politics

Hymns for the Feast of Pentecost today, including contemporary hymns by NZ hymn writer Bill Wallace (Wild wind of the Holy Spirit) and the UK's Bernadette Farrell (Spirit of God, rest on your people).

Hymns on Sunday, 19 May 2024

Serg Tankian is the frontman of System of a Down, a band of Armenian-Americans that started in the mid-nineties, who play an incredible clash of growling aggressive metal and Armenian folk melodies. It's a sound that has struck a chord with millions of fans across the globe, yet Serj chooses to spend a lot of his time living in New Zealand. He talks to Charlotte Ryan about his colourful life as a young immigrant to Los Angeles, and the risks and reward of being part of an avant-garde, political band. Serj Tankian's memoir is Down with the System.

Serj Tankian: Learning to deal with your own mind

Fran Ebbett was just a schoolgirl when she started dreaming of becoming a pilot and eventually she rose through the ranks to captain an Air New Zealand passenger jet, possibly the first Maori woman to do so.

Fran Ebbett, her path to captain an Air NZ jet

Dame Hinewehi Mohi talks to Charlotte Ryan about her remarkable life, and her brave moments that brought te reo Maori to the world's stage through music. 2024 marks a year of significant anniversaries for Dame Hinewehi. It's the 25th anniversary of the release of her debut album Oceania, the 25th anniversary her of monumental performance at the 1999 Rugby World Cup when she became the first person to sing the National Anthem in te reo Maori, the 20th anniversary of the her music therapy charity, the Raukatauri Music Therapy Centre and the 5th anniversary of Waiata Anthems, where she supported local artists to translate and perform their songs in te reo Maori. The New Zealand Music Hall of Fame was set up to recognise artists that have had a significant impact on the evolution and development of Aotearoa music. Past inductees include Margaret Urlich, Annie Crummer, Supergroove, Straightjacket Fits, Toy Love and most recently Don McGlashen.

Dame Hinewehi Mohi welcomed into the NZ Music Hall of Fame

The top stories and other headlines at midday

Cost of burials set to skyrocket in South Waikato

Download our free app to listen on your phone