The Coromandel Peninsula lies in the North Island of New Zealand, extending 85 kilometres north from the western end of the Bay of Plenty. It forms a natural barrier protecting the Hauraki Gulf and Firth of Thames from the Pacific Ocean. The peninsula is very steep and largely covered in rainforest, with the Coromandel Range forming its spine and rising to nearly 900 meters. It has a sparse population, with only five towns having over 1,000 residents and only Thames having a population over 5,000.