Āwhitu Regional Park sits at Manukau Heads in Franklin, on the peninsula forming the southern side of the Manukau Harbour entrance, and holds a 4.6 Google rating. Regional parks on Auckland's rural fringe are typically working farms first, with walking tracks, picnic spots and coastline open to the public around working paddocks — expect to share the land with sheep and cattle, leave gates as you find them and give stock a wide berth, especially in spring. Facilities out this way are often basic: there may be no shop and drinking water can't be relied on, so regulars pack food, water and sun protection, and check the forecast before the long drive. The heads sit exposed to the west, and a calm day in the city can still mean wind out on the peninsula. At the quiet end of the Āwhitu Peninsula, this is about as far from Auckland's rush as Franklin goes.