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Are you a honey lover fascinated by the secret life of bees? Join us for an immersive, one-hour tour of our beautiful Honey Farm, nestled on the historic National Trust grounds of Retford Park in Bowral. Complete with a guided honey tasting and a delightful morning tea, this is the ultimate Southern Highlands escape.
What You’ll Experience
- Up-Close Hive Tour: Don a protective head veil and safely observe the fascinating daily activities of our bees while learning about their remarkable lifecycle.
- Interactive Demonstrations: See how a modern hive operates and explore the inner workings of an empty Flow Hive.
- Guided Honey Tasting: Relax on our scenic terrace overlooking the dam and rolling hills. You will taste six distinct floral source honeys, exploring the unique appearance, aroma, viscosity, mouth texture, and flavour of each.
- Gourmet Morning Tea: Complement your tasting with fresh sourdough and your choice of leaf tea or plunger coffee.
A Moment of Bee Mindfulness
At Bowral Honey Farm, every visit and experience includes a short moment of mindfulness among the bees. Tapping into a long tradition of api-therapy, one aspect that we explore is simply being immersed in the sounds, scents, and gentle energy of a working apiary as the bees go about their lives.
During each workshop and tour, guests are invited to place a hand on the back of a hive and quietly imagine the 50,000 workers within; moving, communicating, and organising themselves through vibration, scent and sound. We then pause for a brief breathing exercise, closing our eyes and tuning in to the low hum around us. With ten hives arranged in a circle, guests stand at the focal point of the combined life force of more than half a million bees.
This simple meditation offers a powerful way to slow down, to connect with the natural rhythms of the seasons, and to experience the presence of these remarkable pollinators in a deeper, more reflective way.
Perfect for Families & Visitors
Located just a five-minute drive from Bowral’s main street, our apiary is the perfect weekend activity for families and Southern Highlands visitors. Delicious local honey is also available for purchase after your tour.
Children three to five years of age are $10 each, and must be accompanied by an adult. You can book 2x children’s tickets per adult on the next screen as an “add-on”.
Thanks for your interest in meeting my bees! We look forward to having you along and sharing our enthusiasm for these unique pollinators.
The system will send you all the details, but the workshop is at my apiary in Bowral.
The address is 1325 Old South Road Bowral NSW 2576. We’re on the grounds of Retford Park, a National Trust property.
Enter through white main gates on Old South Rd and continue until you see our signs and hives (it’s a LONG driveway!). Park in the gravelled area as directed by signage.
This is an outdoors activity, remember to wear appropriate clothing, sun protection etc.
I have hives undercover so we will be able to proceed despite any poor weather.
If you have any questions feel free to call me on 0428294569 or email hamish@bowralhoneyfarm.com
