For our New Zealand friends, did anyone see the made for TV movie which I believe was shown last week on New Zealand's TV1? My family lived in the nearby town of Ohakune at the time but fortunately were not one of the many families who lost loved ones that tragic Christmas Eve.

No doubt there were some glaring mistakes in the movie such as placing the replica 'Taihape' station (my birthplace) from the wrong side of the tracks but all told it sounds like it was a success.

For those who are interested, a lahar created by the collapse of a crater lake on Mt Ruapehu in New Zealand's North Island knocked out a railway bridge at Tangiwai, Christmas Eve 1953. At 10.21pm, the Wellington to Auckland express crashed into the Whangaehu river with the loss of 151 lives. The engine, five 2nd class carriages and one 1st class carriage were carried into the torrent.

In March 2007, a similar lahar (also caused by a volcanic eruption some years before) struck the 'new'Tangiwai brindge which held up. Footage of the bridge can be seen 3 minutes 43 seconds into the following footage on youtube;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5x5tZAHEoRU

Unfortunately, TVNZ or Lippy Pictures hav prevented viewing this by people outside New Zealand due to licencing. I only hope it is not too long before a DVD comes out.

Re Taihape Station, I agree there was only so much they could do and speaks more to the vandals who tore down the stations at Taihape and Waiouru without a thought for our heritage - particularly Waiouru which saw many of our young men off to war. I believe there a great painting at the Waiouru Army Museum depicting that same scene.