Yarns galore as staff reunite at Money Factory

Bev Hemara was surrounded by millions of dollars in cash for a decade.
Money pervaded her life week in and week out. Problem was, she never did get her hands on it.
Mrs Hemara worked at the Money Factory in Whangarei from 1980 until its closing in 1990, the entire time it made all of New Zealand's currency.
Nearly 170 former employees from as far afield as Australia descended on Kamo at the weekend for the 25-year reunion since the Money Factory opened.
It was a boisterous affair with the yarns flowing, including one of staff playing cricket in the vaults with pallets containing thousands of dollars in cash being used as the backstop, Mrs Hemara said.
The printing presses at the Bradbury Wilkinson Money Factory, located off the Onerahi straight, produced "millions" in cash daily, from $1 to $100 notes, keeping the country running. Guards were employed 24 hours a day, although they "slept at night".
Over 350 people worked at the factory at its peak. It also printed currency for Dubai, Hong Kong and other countries.
"There were no phone calls allowed when the money was going out and nobody was allowed to take cameras in," said Mrs Hemara.
The factory had closed in 1990 and a factory in Sri Lanka with "cheap labour" was used to make New Zealand's money.
Mrs Hemara was not particularly fussed about being surrounded by millions in cash daily. "It didn't have any effect on us after a while, probably because we couldn't take it ... every single dollar was counted and accounted for."
The Money Factory headquarters is now home to the Ministry of Education and a furniture warehouse.