Thames – A Quick Trip For Some R & R

Thames – A Quick Trip

Sometimes you just need a couple of days to yourself. A recent break saw me headed to Thames for some R&R. Holidays or breaks away don’t have to be some big adventure, sometimes it’s the change of scenery that’s needed. Just before Christmas 2021 I took two days out as we had been unable to go anywhere since July due to current events.

Thames is just over an hour from where I live and I have visited a number of times before so it was the perfect location for some time on my own. It has a number of op shops (highlight) and a number of things to do right in town. It is on the Coromandel Peninsula, and at the base of the Firth of Thames

I stayed at a local Air b n b called The Shop at one point in its history it was a bakery owned by the Gleeson Family. It was a lovely place to stay with hints of its history still evident with everything on hand and shops not too far away.

I did manage to fit in a little exploring and if you’re a history buff then Thames is worth a visit.

When gold was discovered in 1867 Thames was born, you can read more about it here. It retains quite a number of its historical buildings and monuments

Sights to See

• You can see the Thames War Memorial column from most spots in Thames as its placed on a hill above the town. Accessed via Waiotahi road.
• At the beginning of the shopping area is The Brian Boru Hotel which can be traced back to the Gold Rush, and was run by the same family until 1974 for more on this significant building read this

• Burke St Wharf, constructed in 1868 and for a time, was the main way to get to and from Thames and the Coromandel.
• There is a large amount of heritage buildings, old signs and other historic sites that are well worth a visit. 

 

Other places to Visit

While I didn’t get a chance to visit everything, some places I would love to visit next time are

• Explore some of the hiking trails which you can read about here 
• Not far up the road is the town of Coromandel which is a very windy but beautiful drive along the coast. 
• The Hauraki Rail Trail – A beautiful, and largely flat cycle ride past even more historic sites.
• For even more history on the local area, check out the Thames Historical Museum, through the archway at the corner of Pollen and Cochrane St, Grahamstown.
• The Thames School Of Mines And Mineralogical Museum holds one of the best collections in the Southern Hemisphere with over 3000 specimens including fossils from New Zealand and abroad, and contains a large amount of equipment related to the development and teaching of mining and extraction techniques.
• And of course for me a trip is never a trip without visiting the op shops which you can read about here

I love to create so of course I had to pop in and see Megan at Needles and Pins!

For an even bigger list of things to do when you’re next in Thames, take a look at www.thamesinfo.co.nz 

As always, there wasn’t enough time to see and do everything, but I will be back, so if you have suggestions for other places to visit next time, please comment below and let me know.

Jenny.