Waiake Beach Reserve is a coastal park at 925 Beach Rd in Fairview Heights, on Auckland's North Shore, and it earns a 4.5 Google rating from visitors. Beach reserves on this coast live and die by the tide: at high water the sand narrows and the swimming is at its best, while low tide can expose flats and rock pools worth exploring. Checking a tide table before setting out is the single most useful habit a visitor can pick up. Shade at most reserves is limited to whatever trees edge the grass, sun protection is worth packing even on overcast days, and on fine summer weekends parking at the popular bays fills early, which is why regulars arrive in the morning. For anyone in Fairview Heights, it is a handy piece of coastline for a swim, a walk, or a picnic by the water.