Rothesay Bay is a beachfront park in the East Coast Bays suburb of the same name on Auckland's North Shore, and it holds a 4.3 rating on Google. Foreshore reserves like this are the working heart of a bayside suburb, and the tide is the thing to plan around: along this coast the water retreats a long way at low tide, leaving wide, shallow flats, so swimmers time their visits for the hours either side of high water. Shade is often thin on coastal reserves, so a sunshade and hats earn their place, and fine weekend mornings get busy early — regulars walk or cycle down rather than circle for parking. Dog rules vary from reserve to reserve, so it pays to check the signs at the gate. For an easy swim with gulf views, Rothesay Bay is a handy North Shore spot.