Return to Sender Caskets

Return to Sender Caskets Our designs are environmentally considered at every stage. This includes materials, fixings, handles, and finishes.

Thoughtfully designed and made in Aotearoa New Zealand 🌿 Contemporary and traditional caskets and urns, crafted with integrity, for families who want a beautiful farewell that doesn't cost the earth. Return to Sender offers a wide range of hand-finished caskets made from untreated and sustainable wood, including options crafted from beautiful native timbers of Aotearoa New Zealand. If there is a b

etter way to do things, chances are we are already doing it. Built to meet the highest performance standards, our caskets are crafted with care using innovative construction techniques. Our diverse collection of traditional and contemporary designs caters for a wide range of budgets and are available through Funeral Directors throughout the North Island. As a lasting symbol of life and renewal, we donate one native tree for every casket bearing the Trees for Survival logo.

Some people are just made for the water.Salt in their hair. Sand between their toes. A life measured in sunrises over th...
18/06/2026

Some people are just made for the water.

Salt in their hair. Sand between their toes. A life measured in sunrises over the ocean, lazy afternoons on the lake or quiet moments by the river.

When it comes time to say goodbye to someone like that, the farewell should feel just as true to who they were.

That's what the Beachcomber is all about.

Crafted from natural New Zealand pine with a denim wash finish and rope handle detailing, it's a casket that honours a life lived close to the water, beautifully and authentically.

Proudly made in Aotearoa.

If this feels like the right farewell for someone you love, ask your funeral home for the Beachcomber by name.

Funeral homes, we have this stocked for when it's needed.

He saw it. He knew. That was the one.Recently, an elderly gentleman visited our workshop. He'd seen our Artisan casket i...
16/06/2026

He saw it. He knew. That was the one.

Recently, an elderly gentleman visited our workshop. He'd seen our Artisan casket in a magazine from 10 years ago and simply wanted to buy it and store it at home, knowing his wishes were taken care of.

It was a beautiful moment of forward thinking. And it's more common than you might expect.

If you've ever seen a casket you love and thought "that's the one for me", here's how it works in New Zealand:

✅ Visit a funeral director of your choice (look for an FDANZ member, they hold your pre-payment securely in The Funeral Trust)
✅ Let them know the style you're interested in, they have access to our full range
✅ Work with them to pre-plan and pre-pay your funeral through a secure trust (via FDANZ)
✅ Your wishes are recorded, your family is spared the guesswork

As manufacturers, we supply funeral directors across the North Island, so whatever style speaks to you, your funeral director can make it happen.
Pre-planning isn't about giving up, it's about being kind to the people you love. 💙

Celebrate them. In your own words. In your own way.The natural plywood surface of our Pure and Simple casket means you c...
15/06/2026

Celebrate them. In your own words. In your own way.
The natural plywood surface of our Pure and Simple casket means you can decorate it with heartfelt messages or drawings.
A nickname. A favourite saying. Something that made you laugh. Something only your family knows.
Because every life deserves to be celebrated and sometimes the most beautiful tributes are written in permanent marker.
It brings people together. It gives children a way to be part of something meaningful. It turns a farewell into a celebration that belongs completely to your family.
No two will ever look the same. Just like the people they honour.
Talk to your funeral director about the Pure and Simple, they're there to help you find the right fit for your family.

The last thing a family needs to worry about is casket size. We've got you covered.Our Pure and Simple casket comes in f...
11/06/2026

The last thing a family needs to worry about is casket size.

We've got you covered.

Our Pure and Simple casket comes in four sizes:
Standard
OS
XOS
XXOS

Because every person is unique and every farewell should reflect that.
Built with craftsmanship from untreated pine plywood, whatever size leaves our workshop, it leaves the same way. With the same attention. The same dedication. No exceptions.
Looking for something more traditional? Our Kowhai Casket range also comes in a variety of sizes, a beautiful option for those wanting something a little more classic.
At Return to Sender everyone deserves options. Whatever the casket. Whatever the size.
Your funeral director is your best guide, they know our range, our sizes and how to help you find the right fit.

11/06/2026

No nails. No screws. No metal. Here's how we join our Voyage casket together.
Watch Dave build the Voyage casket using the Domino tenon joiner technique based on one of woodworking's oldest joints. A Domino tenon and water based glue is all it takes.
No metal fixings. No hidden hardware. Just woodworking the way it was always meant to be.
Made for natural and green burial, sympathetic to Jewish burial practices and for every family who looks at this and simply knows they are in the presence of something special.
Built with intention.
Finished with purpose.
This is Return to Sender Caskets.

Good things are made by good people.Meet Olivia, one of the skilled hands in our workshop. Here she is working on our en...
08/06/2026

Good things are made by good people.
Meet Olivia, one of the skilled hands in our workshop. Here she is working on our entry level casket, the Pure and Simple.
The same care, the same standards, the same attention to detail that goes into every casket we make. Entry level doesn't mean it leaves our workshop any differently.
The Pure and Simple is a beautiful, understated choice for families wanting a farewell that feels right without the fuss. Crafted from untreated plywood, it can be paired with our solid pine handles, nameplate and thumbscrews for a full service or kept minimal for a Direct Cremation.

Same standards, same pride, every time.
Every family deserves that.

04/06/2026

No screws. No nails. No metal.
Just centuries of woodworking tradition brought back to life. Watch Dave hand-fit the rail handle to our Voyage casket using a traditional technique called Round Mortise and Tenon. Grain-matched to perfection, secured with a wedge and sanded to a seamless timber finish.
There is an art to building this way. Made for eco-friendly natural burial, sympathetic to Jewish burial practices and for those who appreciate something truly special.

Craftsmanship is not a feature at Return to Sender Caskets, it's the foundation of everything we make.

Did you know not all affordable caskets are made from the same materials?Some are MDF. Some are untreated plywood. And s...
02/06/2026

Did you know not all affordable caskets are made from the same materials?
Some are MDF. Some are untreated plywood. And sometimes MDF actually costs more.
At Return to Sender we use untreated plywood, because we believe every family deserves a better choice for the earth, whatever their budget.
Our fully independent research backs it up. A MDF casket produces nearly 70% more greenhouse gas emissions than an untreated plywood one across its full lifecycle.

Meet our Pure and Simple casket.

Natural plywood you can write on, draw on and make completely theirs.

Pure and Simple.
Kind to families.
Kind to the earth.

28/05/2026

Every life has its own rhythm.
The Archetype was made to honour that.
Behind every casket is a team of people who care about what they do.
Real hands. Real craft. Real heart.
A rail handle crafted so more loved ones can gather close.
A natural interior, warm, honest and beautiful.
Timber sourced right here in New Zealand.
Made with love. For the people you love.
Elegant. Graceful. Beautiful.

26/05/2026

Behind every casket is a family. That thought never leaves us.
It's why every detail is crafted with one intention:

To honour the family.

This is how we create the curved rail handle on our Archetype casket. Every piece of timber is checked, soaked and gently steamed into shape over several hours. Then it’s left to rest until the curve sets and the wood holds its new form.
Elegant.
Graceful.
Beautiful.

You trust us with something that truly matters. At Return To Sender, we never take that lightly.

Address

11 Mountjoy Place, Onehunga
Auckland

Opening Hours

Monday 7:30am - 4pm
Tuesday 7:30am - 4pm
Wednesday 7:30am - 4pm
Thursday 7:30am - 4pm
Friday 7:30am - 4pm

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