Lagoon Bay is a park in the coastal settlement of Mahurangi East, Rodney, and it holds a 4.8 Google rating. Coastal parks on this stretch of the Hauraki Gulf live by the tide: sheltered, lagoon-like bays that swim beautifully at high water can pull back to mudflats and sandbanks within a few hours, so checking a tide chart before you set out is the most useful habit a visitor can pick up. Summer weekends fill the small coastal car parks by mid-morning, which is why regulars arrive early with everything they need — shade, drinking water, togs — since facilities at reserves like these tend to be basic. Dogs, kayaks and portable barbecues are often welcome but governed by council rules, so a quick check beforehand saves trouble later. Set among the quiet bays and beaches of the Mahurangi coast, Lagoon Bay is the kind of spot that earns a rating like that.