The End of the Road

7:15am- We wake up early. Pack up car. Depart with Barry, but following Graeme McNeill who is in his car.
7:45am- leave 0tematata. Headed towards Mt. Cook.
8:15am- Arrive in Omarama. Leave Graeme's car at his friend's store/restaurant. He gets in our car. Stop and eat breakfast at the Wrinkly Ram. Many bikers clad in black also at Wrinkly Ram.
9:00am - leave Wrinkly Ram and scary looking bikers.
See beautiful flowers, zillions of merino sheep and drive over many one lane bridges. Raining.
10:30am - arrive at Mt. Cook which is covered in clouds. And it is raining. Go to Hermitage Hotel to hang out and see if the clouds roll back and reveal the mountain. Visit the Sir Edmund Hillary and Mt. Cook Exhibit. Drink a lot of coffee in the cafe. Stare at the mountain. Trying to imagine what Mt. Cook must look like.
12:30pm - go to 3D movie about Mt. Cook.
1:00pm - give up on seeing Mt. Cook. Depart Hermitage Hotel.
1:10pm - see a sign for Hooker Valley. Take that road. Dead ends at a camp ground. Turn around
1:15pm - see a sign for Tasman Valley. Take the gravel road. Go over a very long 1 lane bridge. Reach a trail head after driving around 8k's. Get out of car to check it all out. (BIG MISTAKE!)
1:30pm - get talked into following trail up to Tasman Glacier overlook. We 3 start up the trail. Barry is 75-100 yds. ahead of Graeme and me.
1:50pm - as the trail gets very steep, a smart Graeme stops. Angelyn gets talked into continuing (BIG MISTAKE)
2:00pm - the trail turns into a massive black boulder field that you have to find your way up....(BIG MISTAKE)
2:15pm - finally reach the top. Stunningly beautiful. Gorgeous. Huge icebergs floating in an opaque aqua lake. Thrilled we made the effort.
2:20pm - ask someone to take our photo. Very, very windy. (PROBABLY A HUGE MISTAKE)
2:25pm - head down the trail. Happily taking photos all the way down. Very smug that we had down the "not easy" hike unto see glacier.
2:50pm - reunite with Graeme. Take more photos.
2:55pm - arrive at car.
2:56pm - BARRY SAYS, " OH NO!"
2:57pm - Barry heads back up the trail asking everyone he meets if the have seen any CAR KEYS. No keys. Everyone is looking. Even a tracker from Nepal. Goes up looking for keys. Barry handed me his phone before he left.
3:20pm- a very nice couple offer to take Graeme to his car in Omarama....honestly, there was nothing he could do and it would be better for him to have his car.
3:38pm - Hertz assures me that someone is on their way with a spare key. There is a catch...he is coming from Christchurch and it will take between 4 and 4-1/2 hours. We with Hertz decide we should catch a ride to Hermitage Hotel and wait for driver there. The driver will collect us and take us to our car at the trailhead. Am now best friends with Carl and Jessica at Hertz. Continue looking for keys..hoping that someone will find them. Call the lodge in Wanaka and let them know we will not make it for dinner...but will arrive around midnight for sure.
5:20pm - get ride to Hermitage with nice strangers. I think I remember my mama telling me not to ride with strangers?
5:40pm- arrive back at Hermitage. Mt. Cook still covered up. Cafe is closed. Barry explains situation IN GREAT DETAIL to hotel desk clerks and borrows their phone charger since our lifeline was getting weak.
6:15pm- after talking to new best pals at Hertz again and knowing that keys will be in our hands by 7:30 or 8, we decide to grab a bite in nice dining room. Must do expensive huge buffet. Surprised at how delicious it is. Barry has let desk know of our whereabouts so that we will not miss our Hertz connection.
7:30pm - call Hertz. Carl and Jessica are gone. Now talking to Tim who is actually in an office in the Turks and Caicos Islands? It is going to be slightly later. Driver with keys got in bad traffic and will not be at Mt. Cook till 9:30 or 10.
7:45-9:45pm. - call lodge is Wanaka to let them know it we will be later! Stare at Mt. Cook till she finally reveals herself to us right at dusk....but enough light to get a photo!
10:20pm - call new best friend Tim to find out where driver is? Unfortunately, it will know be 11 or SO until he arrives. Barry asks everyone entering hotel is they are with Hertz. He makes many new friends and exchanges business cards with new sympathetic friends.
11:00pm - call new enemy Tim to find out where driver is. He will call us back.
11:15pm - Tim calls back. Driver is at Mt. Cook and can't find hotel. Barry explains that The Hermitage is the ONLY hotel and at the end of the road.
11:25pm - driver arrives with key. Informs us that it is not his job to take us to trail head to get key. Girlfriend is in only other seat in car. Barry persuades her to wait at hotel with me while they go get car. She finally agrees.
11:50pm - both driver and Barry victoriously return. Barry talks hotel into opening store and selling us water and Cokes for the driver and girlfriend.
12:00pm - call Wanaka lodging and let them know that we are know leaving. They estimate it will take between 3 and 3-1/2 hours....must go over mountain pass. (had heard how pretty the pass was from Ceci...so looking forward to it!). Drive and drive. Only see 1 car and 2 trucks and 1 closed gas station between Mt. Cook and Wanaka! Make Barry sing loudly to iPod to keep him awake while going through Lindis Pass.
2:35am - arrive at lodge. Get shown to room. Attendant leaves. We realize that our bed has NO linens! We are too tired to rectify the situation. Sleep on mattress with bedspread as cover.
8:00am - awaken to helicopter landing right outside our window! Ugh!

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