Southern Africa - Part10: Port Elizabeth

Today was the last day of our 2-week trip through the southern part of Africa. We started early since a long day lay ahead of us. Departing Manzengwenya in the C206 we flew along the coastline in not more than 200ft, some of the time just a few feet above the beach. We saw thousands of small crabs on the beach and even some huge turtles swimming in the water. Approaching Margate, a small but controlled airfield with asphalt runway, we were able to fly a straight in approach. At Margate, we refueled and had a short rest for some drinks before we took off again towards the south following once more the coast with its sandy beaches. After half an hour the landscape changed and was followed by steep cliffs with waterfalls running directly into the ocean. We flew along those cliffs in 150ft which resulted in an amazing view. Approaching Port St John we had to climb along a valley to reach the airport which is located on the top of a mountain with cliffs on either side of the runway ends. Since cows were blocking the runway we had to fly low over the runway however they were unimpressed by us and remained standing there. We did a climbing teardrop turn for landing with a touchdown just after the cows. With the C206 and its STOL kit we were able to land in a really short distance. At Port St Johns the other group stayed with their safety pilot in a lodge, however, we departed shortly after saying goodbye towards Port Elizabeth, a 2.5hour flight heading southwest across a hilly and beautiful landscape with lots of small villages. We even saw giraffes on our way. Approaching Port Elizabeth we followed the coastline along the dunes for the last bit of our flight before turning for a base leg into Port Elizabeth Airport. With a headwind of 20kt and the C206, we landed in less than a 200m which was very impressive for us. After refueling, we had to say goodbye to Markus who was flying the plane back to Wonderboom the same day. All in all, we really enjoyed this trip and were impressed by how much we were able to experience and see in such a short time. Moreover, we found a new friend in our safety pilot Christian whom we hope to see again soon.