Thames, the gateway to the Coromandel, is located within an hour and a half drive of the major centres of Auckland and Hamilton and their International Airports, and yet the region is a world away from the hustle and bustle of those cities.
Intercity Coachlines
(http://www.intercity.co.nz/) operate New Zealand's national bus network with daily departures from Auckland. Tickets can be purchased online or throughout the country at numerous agents inlcuding the i-site network tourist information centres.