Comparing providers
Looking for an alternative to Woodland Pet Cremations?
If you are ringing around for a dog, cat or smaller companion, you should not have to decode a price list to work out what you are actually getting. Here is ours, and the questions worth asking anyone.
We do not publish other companies' prices, turnaround times or operating details on this page. Providers change how they work, and a comparison table written by a competitor is not a fair source. What follows is what we do, and the question we would want a family to ask us.
What to compare, point by point
The left column is what Harbourside does. The right column is the question we would want you to put to Woodland Pet Cremations — and to us.
| What matters | Harbourside | Ask Woodland Pet Cremations |
|---|---|---|
| Individual cremation | Individual only. One companion in the chamber at a time, never partitioned, never shared — there is no communal option on our price list. | Question to ask Woodland Pet Cremations: “Is my pet alone in the chamber, or is the chamber divided between several pets at once?” |
| Proof it is your pet | SafeHarbour Verification: a numbered stainless tag stays with your companion from collection to return, with each stage logged on your private tracking page. | Question to ask Woodland Pet Cremations: “How is my pet identified at every stage, and can I see that record?” |
| Who answers the phone | Alby or Rachael, personally, at any hour — including nights, weekends and public holidays. The number is 0493 814 474. There is no call centre and no answering service. | Question to ask Woodland Pet Cremations: “If I ring at 2am, do I reach the person who will actually collect my pet?” |
| After-hours and weekend fees | No after-hours surcharge, no weekend surcharge, no public-holiday surcharge. The package price is the price. | Question to ask Woodland Pet Cremations: “Is there a surcharge for after-hours, weekend or holiday collection?” |
| Published prices | Every companion package and weight band is listed publicly, from $430 for an individual cremation with ashes returned. | Question to ask Woodland Pet Cremations: “Can I see the full price list, including every weight band, before I commit?” |
| What is included | An ink paw print, a clipping of fur, and a signed Certificate of Individual Cremation with every package — not sold as extras. | Question to ask Woodland Pet Cremations: “What is included in the price, and what is charged separately?” |
| Return of ashes | Usually within 5–7 business days, hand-delivered or collected in person wherever distance allows, rather than posted. | Question to ask Woodland Pet Cremations: “How long will it take, and will my pet's ashes travel by courier?” |
| Tracking | A private tracking link is issued to every family, showing each verified stage as it is completed. | Question to ask Woodland Pet Cremations: “Can I see where my pet is in the process without having to ring and ask?” |
| Aftercare | Free grief resources to download, a free public tribute page for your companion, and no time limit on how long we hold ashes for you. | Question to ask Woodland Pet Cremations: “What support is there after the ashes come home, and is it charged for?” |
| Independent feedback | 132 Google reviews at 5.0 stars, published on our Google Business Profile where we cannot edit them. | Question to ask Woodland Pet Cremations: “Where can I read reviews you do not control?” |
What is included with every companion cremation
- Individual cremation — your pet alone in the chamber, always.
- An ink paw print, taken before the cremation.
- A clipping of fur.
- A signed Certificate of Individual Cremation naming your pet.
- A numbered SafeHarbour tag and a private tracking page.
- Free grief resources and a free tribute page, for as long as you want it.
Small pets are not an afterthought
Birds, rats, guinea pigs, rabbits, reptiles and fish are cremated individually the same way a labrador is, with the same certificate and the same care on the phone. Families tell us this is the thing they were most nervous about asking, and it should never have to be asked.
If your pet is already at the vet
You still choose the crematorium, even after your pet has been left at a clinic. Tell the clinic you would like Harbourside to collect, or ring us and we will contact them for you.
Verified on Google
What families say after their companion comes home
5.0 out of 5132 Google reviews
They dropped everything to be here the day I lost my boy.
“I could not recommend Alby and Rachael highly enough to take care of your beloved fur family. The empathy and support they provide is second to none. They made an already difficult process so reassuring. And I trusted them to take the best of care of my boy.…”
Stephanie ThompsonChampion Jockey · Sky Racing Expert Commentator · Gold Coast QLD · with her heart horse “Dunk” Treated with such kindness from the very first call.
“Alby and the Harbourside team were so kind and compassionate when we lost our beloved Lydian. From the first phone call we felt looked after — nothing was rushed, nothing was outsourced, and every detail was handled with such care. Having him returned home to…”
Lydia SmithFor Lydian · Google Review They understood she was family, not ‘just a bird’.
“Our cockatiel Pippa was with us for 18 years — through three house moves, two kids growing up, and every morning coffee on the verandah. When she passed I was nervous about ringing around because some places really do treat small pets like an afterthought.…”
Hannah WilkinsonFor Pippa · Cockatiel · Google Review
Questions families ask us
- Is Harbourside an alternative to Woodland Pet Cremations?
- Yes. Harbourside is a family-run crematorium offering individual-only pet cremation from Port Macquarie to Ballina and west to Nana Glen, with published prices from $430 and ashes returned within 5–7 business days.
- What should I compare between pet cremation providers?
- Whether the cremation is genuinely individual, how your pet is identified at each stage, whether after-hours collection costs extra, what is included rather than added, how the ashes are returned, and where independent reviews can be read.
- Do you cremate small pets like birds and rabbits?
- Yes, individually, with the same certificate, paw print where possible and fur or feather clipping as any other companion.
- Can I choose my own crematorium if my pet is at the vet?
- Yes. The clinic's default provider is not binding on you. Ask them to release your pet to Harbourside, or ring us and we will arrange it.
Talk to us before you decide
Ring us with your questions even if you are still comparing. Nobody will push you toward a package.