The Chocolate Inspector

Monday morning started out cold and wet. We walked in the rain to the University of Otago, where Susie is in a conference, and I started out to explore Dunedin.
Of course, my first stop was a chocolate factory, CADBURY WORLD. Heaven! Free Candy!
And, sadly, the above hat. For sanitary reasons, I had to put my hair in the net as we watched candy BEING MADE. It smelled so good, and free candy was everywhere. I was so taken by all of the candy that the tour started without me, and I had to be escorted to my group in the theater.

Chocolate is complicated. What fascinates me most is the cocoa butter, which is extracted and then placed back in strategically for melting magic. I inspected A LOT of chocolate, and I bought my fair share.

Between June and January they produce 40 million eggs, which is just what New Zealand alone consumes the week of Easter. That is 10 eggs per person. They hire extra staff those six months just to make enough Cadbury eggs.

A new thing for me was chocolate buttons. They look like bigger size chips, but they are smaller than Hershey's kisses. All of the milk that goes into this NZ chocolate comes from the cows in Otago (the surrounding area here),

After OD'ing on chocolate, I rolled over to the rail station to explore. We take the train Wednesday through a scenic gorge, and I am already excited about that. I waddled past the prison, then onto Otago Settlers Museum, where I took more photos. The Scots really decided to come here to Dunedin to get in on the European settler action in the mid 1800's. I was fascinated reading diaries and looking at old photos. Ah, history.

After waiting two years, I finally had those green-lipped mussels again.....most delicious and delectible thing I have EVER had!
Off to rest next for the exciting part two of this day.....