Elena (and Matthias) was a wonderful host. We really enjoyed our conversations with her over breakfast, which was delicious - homemade bread and jams, cereal, veggies, anything you could want. The apartment is so spacious and private and the view from the deck is gorgeous. We really loved having a true home base for our time in the Coromandel - we were able to cook dinner and spread out with our things, which was a treat after several days on the road! Elena was awesome in giving advice about local hikes and attractions, and generously lent us spades for our trip to Hot Water Beach. Thames and CoroBase are a truly a great place to stay for your trip to the Coromandel. Everything is a pretty easy drive and there is wonderful hiking nearby. Highly recommend!