Le Roys Bush Reserve is a park on Onewa Road in Birkenhead, North Shore City, Auckland, rated 4.5. A good bush reserve tucked into a suburb earns its place by being an easy escape rather than a big undertaking: a short, well-formed track through native bush that fits into a lunch break or a spare half hour rather than requiring a whole day out. Boardwalks over the wetter, low-lying sections are common in reserves like this, since they protect the ground from erosion while keeping walkers' feet dry, so it's worth wearing shoes that can handle a bit of mud either side of them regardless. Regulars tend to visit early or on weekdays, when the bush is quieter and there's a better chance of spotting native birds rather than just hearing traffic from the road. On Onewa Road in Birkenhead, this reserve is that kind of pocket of bush inside the suburb.