Maraetai Park is a beachfront reserve on Maraetai Drive in the seaside village of Maraetai on Auckland's Pohutukawa Coast, cared for by Auckland Council and rated 4.6 by visitors on Google. The best seaside reserves make the water easy: level grass for picnics, shade for the afternoon sun, a playground, and a shoreline to walk when the tide turns. At a swimming beach the tide is the thing to check before leaving home — it decides between deep water and a long wade over shallows. Regulars at popular coastal parks arrive early in summer, when the grass and the car parking fill fast. Sand, shade and flat grass together are what turn a quick stop into a whole day. An easy drive east of the city, this is where the Hauraki Gulf begins and a beach day needs little planning beyond the tide.