Waiau Beach is a park at 25 Keven Rd in Clarks Beach, Franklin, sitting on the southern shore of the Manukau Harbour, and it carries a perfect 5.0 rating on Google. Harbour parks are governed by the tide. Around the Manukau, low water draws back over wide mudflats that fill with wading birds — oystercatchers, wrybills and, in summer, bar-tailed godwits — while the hour or two around high tide is the time for swimming. Regulars check a tide table before setting out, and bring sun shade as well as togs, since much of a coastal reserve is open grass with only scattered pohutukawa for cover. Late afternoon tends to suit picnickers best, when the light over the water softens and the breeze often eases. With the harbour at its doorstep in a quiet seaside corner of Franklin, Waiau Beach is well placed for just such a tide-timed visit.