The town of Thames, in the North Island of New Zealand started with the amalgamation of two gold rush villages, Grahamstown and Shortland, in 1874. Located on State Highway 25, on the eastern bank of where the Waihou River enters the Firth of Thames. It is situated on the south-western corner of the Coromandel Peninsula. Thames is the gateway to, and the main centre for the Coromandel District, in the Waikato Region. Thames is conveniently situated in a central location, only 1.5 hours drive from Auckland, Hamilton and Tauranga. There are lots of interesting things to see and do here, from taking in the local history, to enjoying native forest and coastal walks. There are hot springs, waterfalls, kauri dams, and superb fishing all within 30 km of Thames. There are some great sport clubs with excellent facilities. On the coastline north of Thames, you can walk on the low-tide line and browse for gem stones.

Some Maori legends state that in about 950 ad Kupe the Polynesian founder of New Zealand settled near where Thames stands today. Samuel Marsden and his Anglican missionary’s also settled, and started saving souls here in 1824. In 1867 William Hunt discovered gold in the Kuranui Stream, nearby, which was the beginning of a lucrative gold rush. By 1868 there were over 18,000 people living in Thames, making it the second largest settlement in the country after Auckland. Today Thames is a service town to the people of the Coromandel District, the local agricultural sector and a thriving tourist industry.

Thames is a great place to base yourself whilst visiting the Coromandel Peninsula. Situated between the Firth of Thames, the steep Coromandel Ranges and the fertile Hauraki Planes, this area offers stunning, diverse scenery and a multitude of activities, for all to enjoy. There is plenty of history to check out in and around the town. The Thames Historical Museum is a good place to start, and the School of Mines (est 1886) is worth looking into, then go underground in the Crown Mines and carry onto the 100 year old Stamper Battery, which is still working today. The town has the full range of shopping facilities, a large “pac n save” supermarket and a great range of pubs, restaurants, cafès and bars.

The Kauaeranga Valley is located in the bush 13 km east of Thames, through the back of the town. There is a good selection of walks here from half hour historic walks up to the preserved kauri dams, to the multi-day walks to the Pinnacles natural lookout, or the Moss Creek hut. There are some great campsites along the Kauaeranga River and also some very nice swimming holes, for everyone to enjoy.

There is no shortage of Thames activities to keep the enthusiastic enthralled. Coromandel’s most popular activity is fishing, either from a boat or off the rocks, in the sea, rivers and streams. That’s not where the excitement stops, you can go cannoning down 300 m waterfalls, go hunting wild pigs, deer or possums, mountain biking, swimming, horse treking, abseiling, walking, tramping, rock climbing, take a scenic flight, go bird watching, play a round of golf, enjoy a hot swim, take a miniature train ride, support one of the local sport teams and find a good spot on the hill to relax and take in the beautiful sunsets. Don’t forget to peruse the local market held in town, from 9 am until midday, every Saturday.

Thames is a good place to start your trip around the Coromandel peninsula. If you need accommodation then you will find some nice surprises here. There are a couple of backpackers close to town, or homestays, farmstays, and holiday houses throughout the region. The camping ground is a good place to pitch a tent or park your campervan or motorhome. There is also DOC campsites along the river up Kauaeranga Valley.