Thames is a coastal settlement, close to the mouths of the Kauaeranga and Waihou Rivers. Behind the town, the ancient volcanic Coromandel Ranges rise steeply to provide a picturesque green backdrop.The northern end of Thames, known still as Grahamstown, offers cafés and boutique shops in a charming, colonial setting. Be sure to visit the museum, which covers early Maori times, the arrival of the first pioneers and the development of mining, logging, railways and shipping. You can also visit the School of Mines, which is open from Wednesday to Saturday.
Often called the gateway to the Coromandel Peninsula, Thames makes a great base for travellers. The magnificent Kauaeranga Valley hiking and camping area is just to the south, and the road to the north follows the coast past scores of sandy beaches.
Most of the town occupies a narrow coastal strip of flat land at the western base of the Coromandel Range. On the south the country opens to the wide expanse of the Hauraki Plain. The main farming activities of the district are sheep and cattle raising, dairying, market gardening and fruitgrowing.
The Thames district was settled by the Ngāti Maru tribe. On 16 November 1769 Captain James Cook in his ship Endeavour cast anchor off Tararu Point, about 3km north-west of the present town, and made a short excursion on the Waihou River by ship's boat. In 1870 the Caledonian mine in just over a year produced 140,000 ounces (3,969 kilograms) of bullion (silver and gold). At the peak of the rush in 1868, 18,000 people were living in Thames.
After our 2 full on days and lack of sleep which had followed the week of the field course I had set aside today so that Stuart and I could have an easy day. We went in to the town of Thames for breakfast, morning coffee and a bit of shopping. It was a beautiful day with the usual blue sky above and the warmth from the early morning made us aware that a scorcher of a day lay of before us.
I really like the town of Thames, it is quaint, quiet and has a charming and inviting character about it. I visited Thames a few times when I needed supplies. There are plenty of shops here including a Pac & Save for those all important daily groceries and food supplies. Coffee shops quietly announce themselves with boards and signs enticing you in with the odd statement such as in the picture below.
There is plenty of accommodation here and some as cheap as in the picture above. DOC- Department of Conservation has an office here and they seem to try to do their best at certain conservation projects. One of their projects that they are currently working on is the creation of a new trail system at Miranada.
All in all Thames is a nice small town worth the visit and easy to reach from Auckland. It makes a great first night location if flying in to Auckland from afar. It has some nice eateries, and bars. A few good, well stocked book shops, ATM's and pretty much everything else you might need whilst on the road.
