Kepa Bush Reserve is a patch of native bush on the slopes above Mission Bay, reached from Colenso Place, and carries a 4.5 rating on Google.
A good urban bush reserve does what the beach and cafés below can't: it cools the air, shuts out the traffic and gives native birds a home minutes from the shops. Tracks in reserves like this tend to be short and shaded, steep in patches, with tree roots, steps and mud after rain, so grippy shoes beat jandals. Auckland bush tracks can also close at short notice for kauri dieback work or storm damage, so it pays to check the council's park page before setting out. Go early if you can: the birdsong is loudest then and the light through the canopy is at its best.
For Mission Bay, this is the quiet green counterpoint to Tamaki Drive, an easy detour from the beach below.