...

The website for everyone and everything
in Thames/Coromandel and Hauraki

Visiting Paradise?

Local Events

Vitalise News

Email us

The website for everyone
and everything in
Thames/Coromandel
and Hauraki

This is a local news page - if you are listing an event, please use the buttons below.

Buying local is the best way to be environmentally friendly while supporting your local community.
It helps stimulate the regional economy, creates
and retains valuable jobs, supports families
and strengthens community and culture.

Need new business Cards?
Vitalise has been making great cards since 1995,
and we can guarantee to deliver a product
that will do justice to your enterprise.

Links below are to external websites that help visitors with information about our community

New to Vitalise

The Aviator is an amazing addition to Grahamstown Thames. Click button for full details, and to see what Vitalise offers in a Mini Website for $120 per year.

There’s something deeply fulfilling about slowing down, connecting with the essence of the human form, and expressing it on paper. Whether you’re a practiced hand or simply curious, this is a chance to nurture your artistry in a welcoming, unhurried space.

Days

Hours

Min

Days

Hours

Min

There will be lots of antique jewellery, furniture, china, glassware, collectable buttons, books and CD's.

Days

Hours

Min

Days

Hours

Min

And it’s Muster time.
We are kicking off with the Seniors!! (would be great to see a womens team this year )
Junior and Youth will be posted once date is selected.
Hope to see you there!!

Days

Hours

Min

Days

Hours

Min

Some sneaky person has yet again stripped all the fruit off the laden Louisa plum tree at Bright Smile Community Gardens (leaving one solitary plum right at the top of the tree). This is the 3rd year it has happened. The thief, probably a local, waits until just before the fruit is ready, then sneaks in and steals all the fruit. Fruit, vegetables and flowers are grown for the volunteers and excess goes into the Paataka Kai on Mackay Street for the community.
If you are that hungry you could turn up on Thursday mornings to help out and then take some produce home, like the rest of the volunteers do. Show some respect for your community garden please.

Days

Hours

Min

Days

Hours

Min

Seagull Centre
Burke Street
Thames
Shop Closures
in January

Days

Hours

Min

Days

Hours

Min

As of Friday 10th January 2025, due to the fire weather conditions meeting the triggers in our fire plan, the Waikato and Coromandel will be moving to a restricted fire season.
There is a total fire ban on
all DOC reserves.

Days

Hours

Min

Days

Hours

Min

We are open again! We hope you all had an enjoyable and relaxing Christmas and New Years. ALL our donor centres are now open again, as well as multiple blood drives being available. The demand for blood and plasma hasn’t gone anywhere, so if you can, we’d love to see you donating at one of our donor centres or blood drives. Become a lifesaver in 2025.

Days

Hours

Min

Days

Hours

Min

Paeroa
Highland Games and Tattoo
February 8th, 2025
9:00am to 9:00pm

Days

Hours

Min

Days

Hours

Min

Paeroa Twilight Market
Click on 'Details'
to book a place
at the market

Days

Hours

Min

Days

Hours

Min

The summer holidays are the perfect time to get together with family to exchange memories and delve into your family tree. Thames Museum Te Whare Taonga o te Kauaeranga and Thames Branch NZ Society of Genealogists are offering two more Tuesday evening sessions to get you started with tracing your ancestors. Tuesday January 7th and February 4th. All welcome.

Days

Hours

Min

Days

Hours

Min

Thames Volunteer
Fire Brigade
Callouts for 2024

Days

Hours

Min

Days

Hours

Min

Te Puru Boat Club
Fishing Contest
January 25th 2025

Days

Hours

Min

Days

Hours

Min

Wild Studios Workshop
January 18th
10:30 - 4:00

Days

Hours

Min

Days

Hours

Min

Hauraki District Council
Emergency Contacts

Days

Hours

Min

Days

Hours

Min

Thames School of Mines
Summer Events

Days

Hours

Min

Days

Hours

Min

Art is Identity
Kuaotunu Hall
January 1 - 8

Days

Hours

Min

Days

Hours

Min

Miranda Gallery
represents some of
NZ's finest artists,
with paintings, prints
and sculpture.

Days

Hours

Min

Days

Hours

Min

Whitianga
Art Centre and Gallery

Days

Hours

Min

Days

Hours

Min

Hauraki Plains College
Back to School
Information for 2025

Excellence is our tradition.
Good schools do things well.
Great schools have a
hum of excellence.

Days

Hours

Min

Days

Hours

Min

What we respect: Dignity Wellbeing
Respect
Equity

200 Mary Street
Thames

Days

Hours

Min

Days

Hours

Min

In 2025, Thames Swimming School faces new challenges as we are
no longer fully funded by Council. We are reaching out to our community for support. If any businesses or local individuals would like to be part of our Club's story and contribute coaching, equipment or other needs, we would love to connect with you.
Click 'Details' for
further information.

Days

Hours

Min

Days

Hours

Min

Check it's alright
before you light.
Get the information you need direct from FENZ

Days

Hours

Min

Days

Hours

Min

Hauraki Repair
and Reuse Centre

Days

Hours

Min

Days

Hours

Min

Have you had a Spring cleanup and now have no idea what to do with your old electronics?
We can help you by picking them up free of charge if you are in Thames, Ngatea or anywhere in between.
Your old devices will be given to people in need if they are still usable in this modern day and age.
Anything that doesn't meet this standard will be disassembled, separated and disposed of responsibly and securely.
Please enquire by text on
020 4144 6262

Below is a list of items that CANNOT be accepted because repurpose is not likely or the cost of recycling is too high:
TV's of any type
Computer screens older than 10 years
Printers of any type

Robin's Room is our classroom space available for the community to hire.
If you have been looking for a space
tp hold a hui or a workshop
get in touch today.
Priority will be given to events
that meet the Seagull Centre's values.

Join (free) as a member
of Vitalise, and be in to win a
Free Mini Website!

Creative Workshops
at Flowers on Pollen
07 868 9891

Days

Hours

Min

Days

Hours

Min

Free Budgeting Advice

with Thames Budget Service

Nau mai,
welcome to Thames Budget Service.
We help people in
Thames/Thames Coast and the Hauraki Plains
with free advice and education.

Sugar Cafe
Thames

We are open for group bookings from now on.
Please tell us prior to booking for
Gluten Free and Dairy Free preferences.
Thank you.

Hello Paeroa Community,
We are pleased to announce that your local Paeroa Fresh Fruit & Vege Store is now officially open. We warmly invite you to visit and support us. Our store hours are 8:00 AM to 7:00 PM daily.
We are truly excited to become a part of this wonderful community and look forward to serving you.
Warm regards,
Paeroa Fresh Fruit & Vege Store Team

Summer Hours at
TCDC Recycling Stations

All our Refuse and Recycling Transfer Stations (RTS) are open an extra hour - from 8.30am until 5.30pm - seven days a week during daylight saving. We look forward to seeing you!

Summer Art Market

Grahamstown Hall

Elizabeth Kyle Gallery
726 Queen Street
Thames

What a milestone!
Pegasus is now flying high!
Ron needed to crawl on rafters in the 2-storey-high
ceiling in 40 degree heat.
He hit his head a few times
in the diminishing truss space.
There is now a permanent chainblock and safety chain up there, with which he hauled Pegasus up.
I found it all quite scary - it's so very good
to have a practical partner. Whew!
Our gallery is open in the weekends, 1:00 - 4:00pm.
Polite children may ride the unicorn or carousel horse
if a parent lifts them on.

Thames Music and Drama
POSTPONED UNTIL 2025
We wish to advise that we have decided to move our production of Calendar Girls to next year. We apologise for any inconvenience and hope you'll all still turn out for auditions and ticket sales in 2025. New dates will be advised once authorised by copyright holders.

Days

Hours

Min

Days

Hours

Min

Paeroa St John Ambulance

Hello team! Last month your local station responded to 167 calls for help across the Hauraki/Coromandel/Waikato.
105 of these were here in Paeroa
Winter is showing its ills and chills and there seems to be a surge of respiratory illness . Please don’t forget options such as Healthline to discuss your symptoms
Looking for an opportunity to give back to your community? Wanting to learn lifesaving skills? We are still looking for volunteers! Flick us an email or DM should you be keen.

Days

Hours

Min

Days

Hours

Min

Kia ora!
You may have noticed the growing Nursery at 111 Queen street Thames behind the railway station.
After a lot of hard work growing native plants to be planted in revegetation projects all over the coromandel peninsula we are excited to announce that we are open for public sales!
Our trees and plants have been sourced from the Thames, Colville and Hauraki area.
We have plenty of stock for large planting projects or a few trees to add to your garden.
Now's the time to plant and our plants are ready to go in the ground.

Days

Hours

Min

Days

Hours

Min

Sovereignty and Soul

A new store at 230 Main Road Tairua
offering women's clothing, jewellery, homewares and furniture.

Days

Hours

Min

Days

Hours

Min

Pauanui Club

In addition to a new a la carte menu we are also debuting a new child friendly kids menu. Bring the whole family down to the Club for dinner and everyone will be catered for. See you there!

Days

Hours

Min

Days

Hours

Min

Going hiking or camping in our great outdoors? Bring your trash back with you!

Days

Hours

Min

Days

Hours

Min

NZ Herald: Crowded House
announce Gravity Stairs Tour

Soft plastics are anything your food is wrapped in, such as chip packets, bread bags and chocolate wrappers.
All soft plastics need to be clean and dry.
They are then sent to various places in New Zealand,
but mainly to Future Post in Waiuku
to be made into fence posts.

Click to take a tour of The Little Gallery
and experience our visual feast of artwork!

GALLERY HOURS

Tairua (next to Manaia Cafe)

OPEN Friday to Monday 10am to 3pm

May be open other days - phone 021 888 420

Whangamata (next to Chill Cafe)

OPEN 7 DAYS 10am to 3pm

Private Viewings Available

phone Faye on 021 888 420

NEWS: WHANAU/FAMILIES OF THAMES Project.
Help us to collect, remember pre-1920's families and connect their descendants.
We have many visitors keen to learn more about their whakapapa and their family's time at Thames.
We are collecting information! How can you help?
Collect a Whanau/Families pre-1920's Form,
complete it and return it to the
Thames Museum Te Whare Taonga o te Kauaeranga
Forms available at thamesmuseum@xtra.co.nz

Volunteer
with St John

We simply couldn't deliver our life-changing health and community services
without the support of our incredible volunteers.
We first started as a voluntary organisation, and still today 70% of our
workforce are volunteers.
So we mean it when we say they are the lifeblood of our organisation.
They're a mighty team of 8,000 amazing people doing important work in all sorts of different roles, from driving health shuttles to teaching first aid,
helping in our retail stores and visiting people in care homes.
We couldn't do the work without them, and we are always keen to see that our volunteers enjoy the benefits of their involvement too.

Tech help at
Thames Community Centre

Need Tech help?
Get that new phone, laptop or tablet sorted, group all those photos and folders where they need to be, organise emails, Facebook, websites and social media, all at no cost, thanks to the generosity of our funders. We're operating individual digital technology tuition and problem solving by appointment with Brennan Dollard our IT guy and super volunteer. In action below working with a couple of satisfied tech users.
Free to you but any Koha gratefully received.
Here’s what others had to say about this service
“Brennan was really helpful; he made me feel safe and explained things in a way I could understand. He made the learning easy and I felt we solved the problem together. I highly recommend this wonderful service.
Brennan has a great sense of humour and he is really professional in his approach – absolutely fabulous and I highly recommend. Thanks TCC”
Thanks to Lotto NZ Trust Waikato The Tindall Foundation
Please get in touch with the centre if you’d like to book a session. 027 8689797 tcrc@xtra.co.nz

The Treasury Research Centre
and Archive Catalogue is now online!

Dive into History with us!
Our Treasury Research Centre and Archive
Catalogue is now LIVE online.
About 40% of our archive collection has been catalogued,
and some of that digitised.
Now you can explore it yourself!

Thames Tittle Tattle
by Meghan Hawkes

Visiting
Paradise?

The website for everyone
and everything in
Thames/Coromandel
and Hauraki

Use this form to send us details of something
you believe others in Thames/Coromandel/Hauraki will find interesting.
Maximum of 50 words, and we need your name,
phone number and email address
to confirm your identity if necessary.
Remember: if you haven't already joined as a member of Vitalise,
you can do this anytime.

List a Special Deal for 90 days - Just $30 with photo!

Mini Websites are available on Vitalise for $120 per year.