Journey to our beekeeper in New Zealand
The best way to truly understand your product is to experience its production from A to Z. That was the main motivation for Theo to pack his bags and head to New Zealand to work as a beekeeper alongside Luděk. In the coming weeks, we’ll be sharing exclusive content on our social media, where we’ll show you both the challenges of beekeeping and the beauty of New Zealand’s nature.
Why Did Theo Travel to New Zealand?
Theo is the person who runs the entire More Than Honey project, communicates with customers, and works to spread awareness about Manuka honey in the Czech Republic. In other words, he’s the driving brain behind it all—our team simply wouldn’t function without him. 🧠🙏
Ensuring the quality of our Manuka honey and overseeing its production is essential for us. That’s the main reason Theo flew to New Zealand at the end of February to join Luděk. Since then, he’s been immersing himself in the spirit of New Zealand’s wild nature, getting stung by bees, and sweating off thousands of calories each day. And through all that, he’s learning firsthand that while beekeeping is beautiful—it’s also incredibly demanding.
And that’s exactly what Theo wanted: to experience it himself. He also decided to fully dive into photography, video creation, and collecting insights about honey, beekeeping, and everything customers like you might want to know. ✅
3 Main Goals of the New Zealand Trip:
- Quality control and a hands-on beekeeping experience.
- Gathering information (topics: beekeeping, bee colonies, honey production, life of a beekeeper, New Zealand nature & lifestyle – all coming in future articles).
- Family vacation.
An Adventurous Flight and Moving in with Luděk
Even the journey to New Zealand was quite the experience—and not without its hurdles. Theo traveled with his entire family, and the already long flight was extended by a layover and some half-sleeping hours at the airport in Dubai. Ironically, it was Theo’s young daughter who handled the trip best.
What absolutely had to be in his luggage?
- A drone, to capture high-quality aerial footage for you 🚀
- A phone, for close-up shots and everyday content 📱
- Some Manuka nougat, for an energy boost and to help with jet lag 🍯
After landing, Theo and his family took a few days to settle in and adjust. And who else but Luděk welcomed them—he offered them a caravan in his garden, which will be their home for the coming months. 🌏
Buzzing and Smiles All Around
What Theo loves most about New Zealand is how friendly and helpful the locals are. This trip has been inspiring for him in many ways, especially because the whole family is enjoying the high quality of local food—especially fresh fruit, vegetables, and meat. And of course, the New Zealand landscape is absolutely breathtaking. 🌳🌸
Theo the Beekeeper
Although Theo enjoys working outdoors, he admits that honey harvesting is no walk in the park. Some of the hive boxes weigh over 25 kg and have to be lifted more than two meters high.
On his very first day, he and Luděk had to collect a ton and a half of honey, so they really put in some work. Every drop of Manuka is truly earned. And let’s not forget to appreciate the bees themselves, who are incredibly hardworking and never stop for a second. 🐝
One Sting After Another
Did you know that our Manuka honey also supports wound healing? Theo is now testing that firsthand—every single day. In addition to collecting honey, he’s also collecting bee stings. 🍯 In the photos below, you can see:
Right ear after a sting ↓
Later, after applying Manuka ↓
Later, after applying Manuka ↓
What's Next?
Theo’s beekeeping journey in New Zealand will continue for a few more weeks. So you can look forward to regular updates from the world of beekeeping, fun facts, and beautiful snapshots we’ll be sharing on our Instagram. 🔝
True honey enthusiasts can also expect posts where we’ll dive into the roles of different bees in the hive—from drones all the way to the queen herself. You can expect your regular dose of news via newsletters and right here on our blog.
— The More Than Honey Team