The largest town on the Coromandel Peninsula, Thames is the gateway to many of the attractions of the area and has an interesting history which dates back to the days of gold mining and kauri logging in the 19th century.
Old pubs and wooden houses still line the streets, and the museum and School of Mines are a highlight.
Despite not having beaches to rival those on the east coast of the Peninsula, Thames and the west coast looks out over the Firth of Thames, and you will find many pretty little bays surrounded by the beautiful Pohutukawa trees all along the coast.
The Kauaeranga Forest Park
The Kauaeranga Forest Park lies in a valley on the Firth of Thames.
Once one of the country’s major sources of kauri timber, it was logged for nearly 100 years and is now a picturesque wilderness offering walks through regenerating forest growth, over bubbling streams, under jagged limestone outcrops and past volcanic chimneys.
Access is through the town of Thames, only a 90-minute drive from Auckland, where a surprisingly grand town centre was built off the wealth derived from the gold rush era but now simply serves the surrounding local farm community.
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Places near Thames & Kauaeranga Valley
- Coromandel Peninsula 21 miles away
- Waiheke Island 38 miles away
- Devonport 48 miles away
- Auckland 48 miles away
- Waikato 48 miles away
- Tauranga 51 miles away
- Bay of Plenty 64 miles away
- Great Barrier Island 66 miles away
- Warkworth 72 miles away
- Rotorua 79 miles away
- Waitomo 82 miles away
- Lake Taupo 111 miles away
- North Island 126 miles away
- Tongariro National Park 145 miles away
- The Kauri Coast 150 miles away
- Paihia 153 miles away
- Russell 153 miles away
- Taranaki & New Plymouth 155 miles away
- Bay of Islands 156 miles away
- Kerikeri 160 miles away
- Eastland & Gisborne 172 miles away
- Matauri Bay 173 miles away
- Napier 179 miles away
- Hawke's Bay 186 miles away
- Hastings 187 miles away
- Whanganui National Park 195 miles away
- 90 Mile Beach & Cape Reinga 219 miles away
- The Kapiti Coast 261 miles away
- Greytown 273 miles away
- Wairarapa & surrounds 277 miles away
- Martinborough 282 miles away
- Marlborough Sounds 288 miles away
- Collingwood & Farewell Spit 289 miles away
- Wellington 290 miles away
- Abel Tasman National Park 297 miles away
- Picton 299 miles away