The Waikowhai Coastal Boardwalk is a harbour walkway at Taumanu Reserve, 30 Seacliffe Road, Hillsborough, Onehunga, Auckland, and it holds a 4.2 rating on Google. The best coastal boardwalks do what an ordinary footpath cannot: carry you over tidal flats and rocky shoreline while keeping the water in view. On a harbour like the Manukau, timing matters — low tide exposes wide mudflats where wading birds feed, while high tide brings the sea up close beneath the boards. These walks are exposed by nature, so a windproof layer and sun protection earn their place, and it pays to check the tide before setting out. Regulars favour early morning or late afternoon, when the light over the water is softer and the harbour wind often drops. From Taumanu Reserve, the boardwalk follows the Manukau Harbour shoreline towards Waikowhai, an easy stretch of coast just west of Onehunga's town centre.