Red Beach is a highly rated tourist attraction at Harrisville in Franklin, holding 4.7 stars on Google.
Beaches reward a bit of planning, and the tide is the big one: the same stretch of coast can be wide, flat and good for walking at low water, then mostly gone at high tide, so it pays to check a tide table before setting out. Weather matters too, as onshore wind will whip up sand and chop up any swimming. New Zealand's sun is harsher than most visitors expect, so sunscreen, a hat and planned shade breaks earn their place in the bag. And because smaller beaches rarely have lifeguards, locals swim between the flags at patrolled spots or stay shallow where they don't.
Red Beach gives visitors a reason to slow down in this corner of Franklin, and its 4.7 rating suggests many have found it worth the stop.