Manukau Memorial Gardens cemetery in Papatoetoe, South Auckland, is no ordinary cemetery. At night, Manukau Memorial Garden cemetery lights up in full colour. Come sunset, the entire cemetery lights up in colourful ambience that always reminds me of the children’s Disney-Pixar movie Coco and its ode to Mexico’s Day of the Dead. The cemetery lights up in a range of colours once the sun goes down. Photo / Corey FlemingAuckland Council’s cemeteries operations manager Sheree Stout says Manukau Memorial Gardens is the busiest cemetery in Auckland, with more than 1500 burials each year.

Source: New Zealand Herald January 02, 2026 17:48 UTC