If you or someone else is in immediate danger, call 111. For free 24/7 support, call or text 1737.
If you are grieving in Bay of Plenty / Te Moana-a-Toi, this guide brings together places to start. You will find hospice and bereavement support, counsellor directories, funeral aftercare, whānau and community support, and practical links for what to do after someone dies.
Start here
- 1737 — Call or text 1737 free, 24/7 to talk with a trained counsellor
- The Grief Centre — 0800 331 333 — national service available to Bay of Plenty residents
- Hospice NZ — Find a Hospice
- NZAC — Find a Counsellor
- Healthpoint — mental health and counselling listings
- Govt.nz — Death and bereavement
- FDANZ — Find a Funeral Director
- Skylight — 0800 299 100 — grief and trauma support for all ages
- Victim Support — 0800 842 846 — 24/7 for sudden death and trauma
Main centres in this region
The Bay of Plenty stretches from the Coromandel Peninsula to the East Cape, taking in diverse communities along the coast and inland. Main centres include Tauranga, Mount Maunganui, Pāpāmoa, Rotorua, Whakatāne, Kawerau and Ōpōtiki. Use the national services above as a starting point. More local listings will be added as they are verified.
Hospice and palliative care
- Hospice Bay of Plenty — serves Tauranga, Mount Maunganui, Pāpāmoa, the Western Bay of Plenty and parts of the Eastern Bay
- Lakeland Hospice — serves the Rotorua district
- Hospice NZ Find a Hospice — find the right hospice for your area
Hospice services in the Bay of Plenty provide bereavement support to families and whānau of people who have died in their care. Contact your nearest hospice to ask about bereavement services.
Counselling and bereavement support
- NZAC Find a Counsellor — search by region and specialty including bereavement
- Healthpoint — counselling and mental health listings for Bay of Plenty
- The Grief Centre — 0800 331 333 — national grief counselling service
- Skylight — 0800 299 100 — grief and trauma support for all ages including tamariki
Support groups and community support
Support groups and peer support in the Bay of Plenty can often be found through your local hospice, GP, or community health centre. Your local Rotorua or Tauranga library may also host community wellbeing groups. The Grief Support NZ Facebook group is a free community for people across Aotearoa.
Funeral directors and aftercare
Use FDANZ Find a Funeral Director to find a funeral director in the Bay of Plenty. Many funeral homes offer aftercare and bereavement follow-up services for whānau.
Māori and Pasifika support
The Bay of Plenty has strong Māori communities, including significant connections to Tuwharetoa, Arawa, Tuhōe and other iwi. For culturally appropriate grief and bereavement support:
- Te Ipu Aronui — Māori grief support
- Le Va — Pasifika mental health and wellbeing support
- Healthify — Māori and Pasifika wellbeing resources
- Whānau Ora navigators — contact your local Whānau Ora provider for support and referrals
- Your local marae and iwi health organisations can also provide guidance on tikanga and bereavement support
Practical first steps after a death
- Govt.nz — What to do when someone dies
- Births, Deaths and Marriages — register a death
- Work and Income — bereavement support payment
- What to Do After Someone Dies — our full NZ guide
Urgent support
If you or someone else is in immediate danger, call 111. For free 24/7 counselling support, call or text 1737. For urgent mental health support, contact Health NZ or your nearest emergency department. Crisis teams are for urgent mental health situations, not general grief counselling.
Know a local resource?
Know a grief counsellor, support group, hospice service, or local organisation we should include? Please share it in the Grief Support NZ Facebook group.