Hobson Bay Walkway is a park in Mauku, in Auckland's rural Franklin district, with a 4.6 Google rating from visitors. Walkway parks live or die on underfoot conditions: in Franklin the clay turns to mud over winter, so a track that is easy in February can be heavy going by July. Regulars tend to go early, when native birds are most active and the day is still cool, and wear shoes they don't mind ruining. Check the rules before bringing a dog, close any gates you pass through, and give paddocks with young stock a wide berth in spring. For a leg-stretch in Mauku's quiet corner of Franklin, a 4.6 rating suggests this walkway gets the simple things right.