A public boat ramp on The Terrace at Herald Island, in Waitakere City on the upper Waitematā Harbour, holding a 4.5 Google rating among local boaties.
With boat ramps, the useful knowledge is mostly about timing. On tidal reaches like the upper Waitematā, the golden rule is to work around the tide: shallows and mudflats mean many ramps become awkward well before low water, so check a tide table and aim for the couple of hours either side of high tide. Etiquette matters too — rig up clear of the ramp, launch and move off promptly, and park the trailer well aside so the next boat isn't queuing on the slope. Early weekday mornings are quietest, and a fresh north-westerly can raise a chop in a narrow harbour arm surprisingly quickly.
For Herald Island locals, a well-regarded ramp around the corner is what keeps the boat in the water rather than on the lawn.