Sunday 14 March 2021
Chelsea Sugar Visit
The ACMA family visited Chelsea Bay in Birkenhead on a fine autumnal day . We had come to learn about sugar, the carb we all love to hate, at New Zealand's only Sugar Factory. First, we visited the Interactive zone to learn more about sugar and the history of the Chelsea Sugar factory. Young and old engaged in virtual baking of cakes and biscuits along with Annabel White often with hilarious results. We then hopped onto a train for a ride around the factory site and to gaze upon the raw sugar mountain - some 45000 tonnes, enough to fill two rugby fields with all being processed after eight weeks. The air was sweet with sugar syrup, and after after that intoxicating smell of sugar, the group naturally had to sample Sugar Cafe's famous Giant Lamingtons. Unable to decide what to choose, ACMA bought all four flavours on offer. Somehow there was still room afterwards to have lunch and drinks, including multiple versions of Egg Benedict. Afterwards, some thought of their calorie intake so headed off for a brisk bush walk around the Chelsea heritage park to burn off the excess energy. Twenty minutes and two thousand steps later but just sixty calories spent ... twenty thousand more steps to go!
Saturday 03 April 2021
Auckland Ripper
On Easter Saturday, the ACMA/YACMA team “Shortland Street Regulars” (including BiuBiu the dog, our team mascot) joined other teams of Aucklanders to find “The Auckland Ripper”. An outdoor interactive detective game, we were trying to solve the case of a Jack the Ripper copycat who had murdered four police officers and had just messaged the local police inspector that they would strike again soon.
The team walked around Parnell, taking witness statements, interrogating suspects, collective evidence and solving riddles. After a hearty lunch, three hours and five kilometers later we solved the case on our first guess!