Take a leap back in time
The history of Te Kauaeranga Thames extends back centuries, and when we understand what came before us, it helps us better understand the present. Read more historical context for the area so that you can look back in time as you walk or cycle our heritage trails or cruise the streets.
Model Kauri Dam
Visit an amazing one-third replica Kauri driving dam. The model kauri dam is accessed via from the Kauaeranga DoC Centre carpark and [...]
Pacific Coast Highway
The Pacific Coast Highway on the west side of the Coromandel Peninsula is one of the great coastal scenic highways in New [...]
Saint George’s Historic Church
Saint George's Historic Church is a remnant of the Goldfields of the Coromandel Peninsula and stands as a witness to a time [...]
Saint James’ Church
Saint James' Church was registered under the Historic Places Act 1980. The following text is the original citation considered by the NZHPT [...]
Shortland Cemetery
Shortland Cemetery is of great historic importance to Thames and the surrounding district. By 1870 already 117 people had been buried there, [...]
Shortland Wharf
Shortland Wharf, or the Landing, is a significant location in the history of Thames. Shortland Wharf sits within the area of the [...]
Tararu Historical Cemetery
The Tararu Historical Cemetery is located just north of Thames on a hill high above the Pacific Coast Highway which provides an [...]
Te Tokotoru Tapu – Holy Trinity Anglican Church
Te Tokotoru Tapu - Holy Trinity Anglican Church in Pārāwai was designed and built entirely by Māori in 1886 and replaced the [...]
Thames Museum Te Whare Taonga o Te Kauaeranga
Thames Museum Te Whare Taonga o te Kauaeranga showcases the social history of our district with a modern Taonga Maori gallery and [...]
Thames Small Gauge Railway
It might be decades since the heyday of rail in Thames, when the town was even building and overhauling wagons as a [...]