As promised, Bee Boss Alex turned up between Christmas and New Year with bees, approximately 100,000 of them in two hives, and set them up in one of the paddocks facing all the soon-to-be flowering manuka.

Soon, the bees were well settled in and the serious business of making honey was started once more. There are two queens in the hive on the left and heaps of honey boxes at the top of both hives.

We look forward to tasting the fruits of their labours very soon.

Posted by Farmer Wan

It was one of those random, wonderfully fortuitous meetings, so of course it had to take place somewhere that was random and wonderful in its own right: our local fish and chip shop, last Friday evening.

Parked outside was a beautiful old truck with the name of a local apiary painted on one side. Inside, were two guys in overalls who looked as if apiarism might've been their thing. I struck up a conversaton and mentioned we were hoping to intall hives at Muntanui.

Alex, the Bee Boss, took my details and said that he and Bee Off-sider, Tony, would come out to see us the next day. As it turned out, they rocked up half an hour later.

They mentioned they were going to check 40 hives up the Branch River the next day and invited us to tag along if we were interested.

"You'll soon work out whether or not bee-keeping's something you really want to do," said Alex.

We jumped at the offer. The next morning, we were out the door by 8 o'clock, packed lunches in hand. We arrived back home at 6pm, having realised over the course of the day that we love bees. We want bees. We must have bees. Bees R definitely Us.

Alex mentioned that he'd stick a couple of hives here "just to see what happens" next time he's coming through -- in about two weeks. As far as we're concerned, it can't happen soon enough... but in the meantime, sit back and enjoy this beeautiful cinematic offering, courtesy of the genius of Spike Jonze. I mean, Farmer Wan.

Posted by Farmer Nik