Te Kauaeranga Thames has many amazing fresh-water swimming holes to help escape the oppressive summer heat. Find them up the Kauaeranga, Te Puru and Tararu valleys. THE KAUAERANGA VALLEY The river is known by Māori as Waiwhakaurunga, "the many bathing pools of the upper reaches", so as you can imagine there are dozens of great pools to cool off in all up the valley. Here are a few known pools. [...]
Te Kauaeranga Thames has been a camping destination for over 100 years with a rich history of DIY holidays. For those seeking to explore the backcountry of Thames, Kauaeranga Valley is the place to go. With lush native forests, cool rivers, history of the kauri logging era, and numerous tracks and trails, including the world-renowned Pinnacles, there's something for everyone. Drop into the Department of Conservation Visitor Centre for information [...]
The Thames Coast with its sunsets and pōhutukawa lined coastal highway, is one of the world’s great road trip destinations. Freedom Camping in Thames is a great way to experience the real New Zealand, but there are some rules. Whether in a van or campervan, below is where you can park up for the night in the Thames area. Rhodes Park By the sports field on the way into Thames, [...]
Crosbies Hut is one of two DoC huts in the Coromandel Forest Park and has been on the Thames bucket list for a while. There are currently five tracks that lead up to Crosbies Hut - Karaka, Waiotahi, Te Puru, Waiomu and Tapu, with the Tararu and Whangatairenga tracks currently closed. We decided to head up the Karaka Track, a five hour hike up to Crosbies Hut and we returned [...]
The Firth of Thames (Tīkapa Moana) is renowned for its snapper, kingfish and kahawai fishing. You can fish close to shore from the rocks or on a kayak, or head out into the Firth. The legendary Waikawau Mussel Farms consistently produce great snapper, but there are some rules to follow; 1. Keep 30m from the barges. 2. No anchors, tie up to a longline buoy or use approved mooring hooks. [...]
Snuggled in at the back of the Depot, past the buzz of the Melbourne Cafe, and the inviting plant coolness of the Plantery is a distillery and tasting room for a Thames gin with jaw-dropping accolades. Is it possible that this boutique Thames distillery makes the world’s best classic gin? The judges at the World Gin Awards 2022 certainly thought so, when they awarded that title to Awildian’s Class Gin. [...]
Five generations - one Thames hardware store. Read Bros Hardware has been around since 1867, looking after the ever-changing hardware needs of Thames and the Coromandel. Back in 1867, they serviced mainly gold miners, looking to buy sawn timber, pit props, & railway sleepers. Now Read Bros has just about one of everything - their inventory contains more than 14,000 different items, including hardware, farming equipment, camping and marine supplies, [...]
It's confirmed. After Wings & Wheels 2024, if it wasn't already an iconic Thames event, it is now. The fifth iteration of the event has firmly claimed a spot on the Thames calendar - although because of the sheer amount of organisation required to pull off such a multi-faceted event, it's likely to be biannual, rather than annual. Congratulations go out to all the organisers, including the Thames Business Association, [...]
Did you know you can go trout fishing in Thames? We explored the Hikutaia River this long weekend – and yes we took our fishing rods (and licenses)! Hikutaia is south of Thames on State Highway 26 and is the southern border of the Thames Ward. The Hikutaia River flows west from the Coromandel Ranges and into the Waihou River. The Māori translation of Hikutaia is 1. Tail (hiku) of [...]
What's your favourite Thames op-shop? Secondhand shop? Antique shop? Market? We've gone through the plethora of quirky and interesting shops and markets selling secondhand goods in the Thames Ward, from Hikutaia in the south to Waikawau in the North and picked our eleven favourites so you can easily go on the hunt for treasures next time you're in the area. If you're smart, you can create a circuit as most [...]
