Hi John,

Hope all is well with the storms and flooding you are having there at the moment.

I've been fortunate enough over the years to have had three extended holidays in New Zealand. It is a truly beautiful country with so many variations in scenery. Unfortunately due to business commitments I won't be able to get there before Christmas, but if the "Istein" layout is still on the exhibition circuit in 2009 it is quite likely a visit I will make.

To anyone who is reading this and has never had the opportunity to research New Zealand railway history, it's something I would recommend if you like the combination of some of the most brutish and powerful narrow gauge steam locos ever engineered (with wheel arrangements up to 4-8-4), intense gradients and spectacular scenery (in parts on a par with Canada, while in other parts you could easily feel you were in England or Scotland). Unfortunately with the withdrawal of steam and the increase in road transport, the "Golden Age" of New Zealand railways, like here in Australia, is now probably behind us. Having said that the scenery is still the same.

I am glad to see European modelling is still going well there - in fact I may be sourcing spare parts for Marklin from New Zealand as the availability range there seems excellent.

Best wishes,

Richard