Leigh Scenic Reserve is a pocket of native bush in Bayview on Auckland's North Shore, rated 3.5 from six Google reviews. Visitors call it wonderfully refreshing and accessible, and one reckons it holds the largest kauri in Auckland — though a recent walker found both entrances barriered and the track closed. A good scenic reserve does simple things well: shade, birdsong, a track that feels a world away from the suburbs within minutes of the car. Around kauri, the knowledge that matters is disease: kauri dieback spreads on muddy shoes, so councils close tracks at short notice and place hygiene stations at entrances. Check the council's website for current track status, stay on the marked path, and scrub your soles clean. Neighbouring bush like Eskdale Reserve offers longer links if you want a bigger walk. When the barriers are down, this little reserve puts a remarkable kauri on Bayview's doorstep.