Ambury Regional Park sits on the coast at Kaiaua, in Franklin, and holds a 4.7 rating on Google. Regional parks on this stretch of coast sit somewhere between farm and reserve: paddocks rather than mown lawns, stock in the fields, and tracks that follow fence lines or the shoreline. A tide check is worth the effort, because the Firth's mudflats empty and fill dramatically and the birdlife — oystercatchers, godwits, wrybills — follows the water in and out. Gumboots are the honest footwear choice after rain, and spring brings lambs close to the fences, which is when families tend to time their visits. Dogs are usually lead-only or kept off grazing land, so it pays to check before setting out, and early starts beat the weekend crowds. For Kaiaua and the wider Franklin coast, it's a ready-made day out where farmland meets the sea.