This is a photo we took while on a hike in the highlands of the Banks Peninsula. What you see is a swarm of bees who have left their previous hive with a new queen. It was thrilling to be so close to it.

I woke up to a warm and sunny morning with a dance in my step and the song Boogie, Oogie, Oogie (by A Taste of Honey) in my head.  I am freshly showered, after having danced and shuffled my way to the camp showers, and having “a cuppa”tea on the porch of the campground kitchen facility looking at a rainbow in the distance and a swarm of happy humming bees hungrily gathering pollen from the lavender flowers in front of my table.

The busy worker bees remind me that New Zealand has an enormous honey business and you frequently see commercial bee hives as you drive through the countryside. NZ makes some of the most delicious and nutritious honey in the world.  Being a remote island country with strict border surveillance, New Zealand is very careful not to allow any other honey into the country and has avoided many of the bee diseases found in other countries.  I did not realize that it is a widespread practice in most other beekeeping countries to feed antibiotics to bees for control of the devastating diseases but it is illegal in New Zealand. As we mentioned in an earlier post, the air and water are so pure that it would make sense that the honeys coming from the tree flowers of New Zealand have an unusual composition, and not only taste good but have significant antioxidant, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory health properties.

One of the most popular Honeys NZ sells around the world is Manuka honey, known for its antiseptic qualities, but it is estimated that they sell twice as much Manuka Honey as they produce.  Somebody got a little too greedy and now sells a blend of honeys they call Manuka but it is not the real thing. It is such a problem in the honey industry that the Prime Minister even commented on the dishonest practice.   Being an innocent honey purchaser I bought some of the world renowned Manuka honey before hearing this fun fact and hope that it is the real thing.  Regardless, it tastes sweet as honey.