Historic Thames is a golden treasure
There are many interesting nuggets to discover in Thames, so Eleanor Hughes stopped by to try some of them.
An hour-and-a-half southeast from Auckland, Thames is the town you probably just drive through on the way to somewhere on the Coromandel Peninsula.
Formed in 1873 with the amalgamation of the goldmining towns of Shortland and Grahamstown in the late 1800s, it was New Zealand’s second-largest city.
It’s home to a lot of goldmining history and architecture from that era.
And there’s plenty to do to fill a few days. Thames is a destination on the popular Hauraki Rail Trail, running from Kaiaua to Matamata, and it’s only 13 kilometres from Kauaeranga Valley, part of the Coromandel Forest Park, which has numerous day and multi-day hiking tracks. If you stay for less than 24 hours, make it a Saturday or Sunday, when most of Thames’ goldmining attractions are open.
Morning Wake up at Avalon Motel
With bright, airy, modern rooms with garden patios, or overlooking the garden and outdoor pool, Avalon Motel is a fiveminute walk to the town centre. Rooms vary from studio units to units with separate bedrooms, and have microwaves, toasters and kettles in kitchenettes for an easy breakfast.
104 Jellicoe Crescent (State Highway 25)
Coffee and breakfast at Food for Thought
If you fancy a cooked breakfast, head to Food for Thought, a 20-minute walk away along Pollen St, a mile-long stretch of eateries, antique, homeware and other stores, and the wellstocked Carson’s Bookshop. Open from 6am, this cafe has the best iced coffee and flat whites in town, according to Thames residents. Fill up on eggs benedict, bacon and egg bagels, pancakes, BLATs, bacon, sausage or the big breakfast.
574-576 Pollen St
Thames Market
Join locals on a
Saturday at bustling
Thames Market, at the Grahamstown end of Pollen St around Pahau St. From 8am until noon, check out an array of stalls selling fruit, vegetables, sauces and chutneys, jewellery, second-hand books, clothing, fresh bread, Thai food, mussel fritters and more. Walk along to Vinyl, at 734 Pollen St, where on the pavement a collection of large stuffed toy dogs ‘‘catchup’’ around a table or ‘‘sing’’ at a keyboard. It’s worth a photograph. Look above street-level to frontages reminiscent of wild west days with the (presumed) oldest Grahamstown shop at 746-748 Pollen St, built in 1870.
Thames Goldmine Experience
Run by enthusiastic and knowledgeable volunteers, Thames Goldmine Experience gives visitors the opportunity to discover what life was like working in the goldmines. Don a hard hat and go into the tunnels of what was once one of the richest mines in the area. Above ground,
Thames has a lot of goldmining history and architecture from the late 19th century.
the stamper battery thumps away. Try gold panning, watch a flickering film on Martha Mine’s early days, and view historic images of Thames.
Tararu Rd
Thames Museum
For more town history, visit Thames Museum. Most interesting is the screening on early town life and intricate models of historic buildings, carved from kauri. Cochrane St
Museum of Technology
Housed in the Bella Street Pumphouse, built to pump water from the goldmines, if steam engines, machinery or engineering are your thing, you will love this place. 212 Bella St
Lunch at Cafe Melbourne inside The Depot
Check-out The Depot, the 90-year-old restored brick bus depot, where an internal lane takes customers past art shops, a deli, a home decor store, and other services. The Coromandel Distillery Company is also here, with a copper still that distils Coromandel Dry Gin and wood-aged Ma¯nuka Honey Gin. Fuel up at the buzzing Cafe Melbourne. Rated by Coromandel Goodness as one of the top eight Coromandel kitchens, try a taste plate to sample three top dishes. Dine in the courtyard, or within its cosy brick walls.
715 Pollen St
Afternoon Coastal Walkway
Walk off lunch along the flat, 3.5km coastal walkway that begins and ends at historic Shortland Wharf. It’s home to The Wharf Coffee House and Bar and Thames Wholesale Fisheries which, if you’re into seafood, is worth ducking into for fresh seafood.
The coastal walkway has views from the Firth of Thames to the Hunua Ranges, and a boardwalk leads off it among mangroves to the Karaka Bird Hide. Your chances of sighting oystercatchers, herons, stilts, dotterels, and godwits, are best two hours either side of high tide.
Further north, the Small Gauge Railway is open every Sunday during summer, less so during winter. It’s worth a detour to take a guided tour at the nearby Thames School of Mines and Mineralogical Museum. Hosting an impressive collection of rocks from all over the world, there are old classrooms, laboratories with original 1800s’ equipment, and goldmining items.
Back on the walkway, past Victoria Park’s 1902 Band Rotunda, the remaining piles of the 19th-century Burke Street Wharf, and you’ll reach Kuranui Bay’s long stretch of shell-scattered sand where miners’ cottages stand opposite. Shortland Wharf, Queen St
Historic walk
Discover more of historic Thames by walking back to Avalon Motel on one of the town’s historic walks. Maps are available from the i-Site visitor centre, thecoromandel.com, or get hold of a Historic Places Trust brochure on Historic Grahamstown.
From Kuranui Bay, be sure to ascend steep Waiotahi Rd to the World War I War Memorial. A track leads down into town, where you can explore Brown St, home to several 1800s hotels, and Queen St, the location of the old courthouse and library, now The Treasury, where historical records can be viewed. On a wander, you’ll find grand, wooden Victorian homes, picturesque cottages and a few mineshafts. Historical sites are marked with yellow information signs.
Evening Gastronomics restaurant and bar
Gastronomics is described by locals as the best restaurant in town, and the owner is an award-winning chef. Generous mains feature seafood – you are on the Coromandel Peninsula – or there are many other mouth-watering options. 428-430 Pollen St
The Junction Bar, Junction Hotel
The Junction Bar in the Junction Hotel is a great place to finish the day. Built in 1869, at the halfway mark between Grahamstown and Shortland, it’s a local favourite, with live music until midnight on many Friday or Saturdays. Or have an early night, if hiking or cycling are on the agenda in the morning.
700 Pollen St