Kauaeranga Visitor Centre

Contact details

Kauaeranga Visitor Centre

Getting there

The visitor centre is 13 km (15–20 minutes) from Thames on Kauaeranga Valley Road.

From Thames travel along Banks Street (BP Service Station on the corner) which turns into Parawai Road. Continue as it passes through the settlement turning in Kauaeranga Valley Road.

Opening hours

• 8:30 am – 4 pm daily off peak/shoulder season
• Closed Christmas day 25 December

The visitor centre will close during severe weather.

Information and services

• Toilets inside the centre, and 24-hour toilets at the end of the carpark.
• Refreshments and camping supplies.
• Displays on the cultural, historic and natural features of the Kauaeranga Valley.
• Watch a 20-minute film about the history of kauri logging in the valley "The Last of the Kauri Bushmen" in our theatre.

Wash your gear at the visitor centre to prevent kauri dieback

Kauri dieback has been found on the Coromandel. To prevent it spreading, wash your gear at the stations at the visitor centre. More about kauri dieback.

After hours information for campers

You can pay using the online booking system for each campsite:

• Booms Flat Campsite
• Catleys Campsite
• Hotoritori Campsite
• Kahikatea Campsite
• Shag Stream Campsite
• Totara Flat Campsite
• Trestle View Campsite
• Wainora Campsite
• Whangaiterenga Campsite

If you wish to pay by card you must pay at the visitor centre during opening hours.

Kahikatea Campsite bookings and key collection

Kahikatea Campsite is for certified self-contained campervans only. These sites are booked online or at the visitor centre. You must collect keys at the centre during opening hours unless prior arrangements have been made.

Visitor centre conference room hire

The Kauaeranga Visitor Centre facility is available for hire for private or corporate functions. It's ideal for business meetings, team building exercises, training courses and conferences.

The venue is close to Thames, yet in a secluded bush setting. The building is modern and well-lit with ample parking for all sized vehicles.

Facilities

• Depending on the function, maximum capacity is 60 people. We recommend 30-40 people as a maximum for comfort.
• We provide a training room with tables and chairs, wifi, whiteboards and a projector. 
• There are two cottages available for accommodation nearby: Cookson Cottage and Kauri Cottage. 

Hire costs

• Full Day:  $100.00 + GST (5 hours +)
• Half Day: $50.00 + GST (4 hours)