Overnight accommodation is at the excellent Manor 38 guesthouse in Port Elizabeth, equivalent standard accommodation to The Plettenberg, for a fifth of the cost! Located in Summerstrand, it is well located for walks on the beach, or the Disney-esque casino/hotel/restaurant complex on the waterfront.
I have an hour this morning to walk along the waterfront in Port Elizabeth, and a quick wander through the restaurant part of The Boardwalk Hotel. Port Elizabeth is an interesting city, heavily dependent on car manufacturing, which is worthy of further exploration, but there is just not enough time to see more than the bay on this trip.
SA410 to Johannesburg, South Africa is running 30 minutes late, but manages to make up some time on the flight so that it lands only 15 minutes late. Still plenty of time to make QF64 to Sydney, Australia at 18:15 this evening. Business class is full, which is a good sign for Qantas’ financial bottom line, and the flight appears to be at least 80% full. It’s a quick flight of just under 12 hours, and we arrive into Sydney 15 minutes early at 13:50. Record speed clearing customs and immigration, and I’m at the Sofitel Wentworth in central Sydney by 14:45. Time for a walk and some dinner before heading home to Melbourne tomorrow morning.
