Glenbrook Reserve is a nature reserve on Glenbrook Road in the Franklin countryside south of Auckland, and it holds a 5.0 Google rating. Reserves like this do the quiet work of protecting native bush, wetland edges and the birdlife that depends on them — tūī and kererū in the canopy, pheasants and harrier hawks over the paddocks. Visitors do best to wear sturdy footwear, keep to the tracks, and come early or late in the day when birdlife is most active. In this part of Franklin the seasons shape the walk too: winter brings lush, muddy ground, while summer can be dry and dusty underfoot. Dogs, where they are welcome at all, are usually expected on leads around ground-nesting birds, so it pays to check before setting out. For a slow rural wander within reach of the city, Glenbrook Reserve is a peaceful corner of Franklin that its visitors clearly rate.