Lion Rock tragedy: 'Fun loving girl' farewelled

Lianne Greer's accident shocked family and friends. Photo / Supplied

The woman who fell to her death from Lion Rock at Piha has been farewelled in a service "filled with a lot of laughter and a lot of love".

Lianne Greer, 36, a commercial insurance manager from Auckland, was climbing the rock with friends in the early hours of last Saturday.

It was thought her high-heeled boots caused her to slip. She was pronounced dead at the scene despite her friends' frantic efforts to keep her alive.

Her mother and sister, who live in Australia and Edinburgh respectively, returned for the funeral in the family's home town of Paraparaumu on Friday.

This week, Lianne's ashes will be scattered at the local beach, with those of her father who died from pneumonia two years ago.

Speaking with mother Tessa Greer, family friend Marie Ryan described Lianne as a fun-loving girl with a huge heart.

She had a successful career with IAG and had won a company-wide award for innovation only a month ago.

Last month, Lianne visited her mother in Scarborough, Queensland.

"Tessa will treasure that time forever," Ryan said. "They had barbecues, ladies' lunches and sat out in the sun together."

Ryan said the tragedy had come as a "huge shock".

"She was a fun-loving girl and she loved parties but she would never do anything stupid. It was a terrible, terrible accident," she said.

More than 100 attended her funeral. "It was a beautiful service filled with a lot of laughter and a lot of love. "

As a nod to Lianne's love of animals, guests donated to the SPCA instead of bringing flowers. Lianne had a horse, Ruby, grazing near her home in Whenuapai, west of Auckland. It was being cared for by friends.