Chocolate high hits Dunedin streets
10 Jul 2009
Dunedin Cadbury Chocolate Carnival
11 - 17 July, 2009
Dunedin’s decadent mid-winter sweetener, the irresistible Cadbury Chocolate Carnival is ready to roll from 11 - 17 July, in the southern New Zealand city.
Now in its ninth year, the week of chocolate-coated family events culminates with one of the world’s more unusual charity events, the great Jaffa race when thousands of the iconic New Zealand sweets hurtle down the world’s steepest street.
A New Zealand and Australian favourite since 1931, Jaffas are small round balls of orange candy-coated chocolate. Kiwis consume around 46 million Jaffas each year - that’s over 10 times the population.
Baldwin Street, Dunedin
The wacky Jaffa-rolling event happens on Baldwin Street which, with a gradient of around 35 percent, is officially recognised by the Guinness Book of World Records as the world’s steepest street.
At one point, Baldwin Street rises by one metre for every 2.8 metres travelled horizontally.
In 2008, 30,000 Jaffas rolled down Baldwin Street, and $70,000 was raised for charity.
Wave of red
With each Jaffa individually labelled, the sweets swarm down the street in a wave of brilliant red.
Depending on conditions, winning balls can reach the bottom of Baldwin Street within 12 seconds of dispatch.
Thousands of people took part in last year’s event which saw a Sydney resident claim one of the top prizes. Spectators are again expected to cram driveways and verges along the Northeast Valley street for the 2009 ‘roll down’.
Chocoholic's dream
A chocolholic’s dream, the carnival programme includes many chocolate-themed family events from classes in chocolate cooking or choc-art sculpting and painting, to a hot chocolate ceremony, chocolate fishing, and chocolate facials.
For the more seriously-minded, there’s even chocology - chocolate therapy - with choc-therapist Murray Langham, owner of Schoc Chocolate (Martinborough) and author of Chocolate Therapy and Hot Chocolate.
Cadbury World
Cadbury World has made confectionary in Dunedin for more than 70 years, and is New Zealand's biggest chocolate producer.
The working factory is open to the public, taking visitors behind the scenes to sample chocolate products and view treats such as a chocolate fall housed in a five storey high silo.
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