Waitawa Regional Park's entrance sits at 1191 Clevedon-Kawakawa Rd in Kawakawa Bay, on Auckland's rural south-eastern edge, and the park holds a 4.6 Google rating. Auckland's regional parks are mostly working sheep and cattle farms opened to the public, so expect paddocks and gravel farm tracks rather than formed paths, and facilities that tend to be basic, with no shop on site. Regulars bring their own water and food, wear sturdy shoes for mud and hills, and check tide times before any walk that drops down to the shore. Give livestock a wide berth and leave gates exactly as you find them. It also pays to check gate hours and dog rules before setting out, as these vary from park to park. From this entrance, the park's coastal farmland makes a good day's outing from the city and pairs well with the beach at Kawakawa Bay.