Herne Bay Beach is a park at Pukekawa in the Franklin district, south of Auckland, and visitors give it a 4.2 rating on Google.
A good park does a simple job well: open space to move, somewhere to sit, and a patch of shade, free at the gate. In rural areas, facilities can be basic, so regulars bring their own water and take rubbish home. Dog rules change from one reserve to the next, and the noticeboard by the entrance is the honest source. Parks tend to be at their best early in the day or in the hour before dusk, when the ground is cool and the crowds are thin.
For a quiet patch of green in Pukekawa, Herne Bay Beach is an easy stop for Franklin locals and anyone passing through.