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New Zealand's Coromandel Peninsula is one of the country's most rugged regions, and locum tenens visiting the area can explore its rich history of gold mining when they travel to the town of Thames.
Originally founded as a mining and logging town, Thames is the cultural center of the modern Coromandel region. While its mines are no longer as busy as they once were, you can still learn about their history by visiting the area's two museums.
The Thames Historical Museum features exhibits detailing the town's development from the early years of European settlement through the gold rush and modern times, while the Thames School of Mines occupies the original institution that taught visitors how to dig for gold and quartz between 1886 and 1954.
For a more hands-on mining experience, travelers can go on an exciting tour of the 100-year-old Golden Crown Mine. These excursions allow participants to go deep underground as they witness the operation of old mining equipment and try their hand at panning for gold.