Kauri Point Centennial Park is a park in the rural Waikaretu area of Franklin, south of Auckland, and it holds a strong 4.6 rating on Google. In kauri country — and the name hints at it here — the most useful thing any visitor can know is kauri dieback: this soil-borne disease travels on boots and tyres, so well-run parks keep people on formed tracks, provide cleaning stations and close paths when needed, while visitors do their bit by scrubbing footwear and staying off closed ground. Rural parks across Franklin tend to be light on facilities, so regulars bring their own water, wear shoes ready for mud, and check posted signs for dog rules, which vary from park to park. Mornings are usually the quietest time, and often the best for birdlife. Set among the farmland and limestone country around Waikaretu, this well-rated park makes a natural pause on a Franklin back-road drive.