What a pleasant surprise to find Graeme McClare's Research Notes on the Karaka Crossing Siding in the latest Observer. From 1942 to 1950 our family lived on a farm which backed onto the lower part of the Karaka Bank, milepost 24 being by the southern boundary of our property. My father spoke of the Karaka Siding, but when my friend Gary and I as boys ventured up the line about 1945 or later, there was no sign of this mysterious station or how one would have got to it by road! The double track, as mentioned in the article, had of course spelt its demise. So the enigma remained until Graeme's article and that wonderful photograph with "Karaka" on the end of the station! I believe the trees in the left background by the station are those round our home "Nga Oki". The main station on my Hornby layout back then was, not surprisingly, "Karaka", so it is good to see the prototype at last!
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