Kinleith Pulp and Paper Mill

Kinleith Mill lies 14km South of Tokoroa township and was the main industry for the area in the 70s, employing over 2000 staff.
 
"Progress" has seen the mill divided up and sold piece by piece as logging has reduced with the fall in demand and price of timber.  Nowadays most of the staff out on site would be contract workers and number less than 300.

Many people reckon the pulp smell is horrible but I loved it as a kid when meeting my neighbour arriving home on the bus and burying my face in his jacket to sniff the lingering odour.

When I turned 18 and was old enough to apply for position out there I took my right of passage as most young Tokoroa people did.  I got a job watching paper roll up on Number 2 Papaer winder. 
   2nd Assistant Reelerman was my convoluted title but I was there for the money earned as a shift worker whilst I waited to be old enough to apply for the NZ Police.

I worked at Kinleith for 2 1/2 years in total and it set me up very nicely with a Porsche 911 to show for it. 
  What more could a young man want!