Paeroa, a small town in New Zealand, lies in the northern Waikato region of the Thames Valley. Located at the base of the Coromandel Peninsula, it is close to the junction of the Waihou and Ohinemuri Rivers, 20 kilometres (12.4 miles) from the coast at the Firth of Thames. Paeroa had a population of 3,888 at the 2013 New Zealand census, a decrease of 87 people since the 2006 census. There were 1,836 males and 2,052 females. 75.5% were European/Pākehā, 31.3% were Māori, 3.4% were Pacific peoples and 2.6% were Asian. New Zealanders know Paeroa for its mineral springs, which used to provide the water used in a local soft drink, "Lemon & Paeroa". The town stands at the intersection of State Highways 2 and 26, and is the central service location for the Hauraki District with the town being a midway stop between Auckland, Tauranga and Rotorua. It is about half way between Auckland and Tauranga, and acts as the southern gateway to the Coromandel Peninsula, and as the western gateway to the Bay of Plenty and the Karangahake Gorge.
