Thames, New Zealand / New Zealand
Thames ) is a town at the southwestern end of the Coromandel Peninsula in New Zealand's North Island. It is located on the Firth of Thames close to the mouth of the Waihou River. The town is the seat of the Thames-Coromandel District Council. The Māori iwi are Ngāti Maru, who are descendants of Marutuahu's son Te Ngako. Ngāti Maru is part of the Ngati Marutuahu confederation of tribes or better known as Hauraki Iwi. Thames was at one time the second-largest city in New Zealand, behind Dunedin and ahead of Auckland). After the gold began to diminish, so did Thames' population, although not substantially, and it has remained relatively stable ever since. It is still the biggest town on the Coromandel. The population in the 2013 census was 6,693, a decrease of 60 since 2006. Until 2016, a historical oak tree that was planted by Governor George Grey stood on the corner of Grey and Rolleston streets.