Where Our Lakes Honey Comes From

Bees and honey are as much a part of our farm as the flowers themselves. With thousands of friendly buzzing bees meandering through the gardens it's hard to ignore their activity. And it's a pleasure to witness their natural processes and the incredible creation of honey.

Having our popular tasting station within the tearoom is a great way we can share some of our honey knowledge with curious guests. The number one question about each variety is... where does it come from?

In short, each type of delicious honey is made by the bees that have feasted on the nectar of particular flowers in various locations. From year to year, the hives may be moved to ensure the bees get the best of the blooming florals (weather patterns are taken into consideration as well).

Here's some insight into the plant sources of the honeys:

Lavender

Latin name: Lavandula

Native? No

Our source: Wānaka Lavender Farm

Lavender is a calming plant known for it's elegant appearance and sweet aroma. You'll find it in abundance at the farm in rows and rows of purple.

During summer and even into autumn, the lavender flowers are surrounded by the busy honey bees. They fly back and forth to their hive boxes and craft a beautifully light lavender honey in there. This is extracted, transported, and tested for quality. We add a drop of lavender essential oil (Lavandula Angustifolia from our farm) to enhance the natural flavour.

This variety is unique and can't be found in supermarkets or many other places in New Zealand. It's the most local honey you can get from us!

Kāmahi

Latin name: Pterophylla Racemosa

Native? Yes

Our source: Westland

This is the most abundant forest tree in New Zealand. It grows in lowland, montane, and subalpine forests and shrublands; from the centre of the North Island southwards all the way to Stewart Island. It does well in the shade of other trees e.g. beech, and will even grow on their trunk.

Photographer: Jesse Bythell

Rātā (Southern)

Latin name: Metrosideros Umbellata

Native? Yes

Our source: Paparoa Range

The Southern Rātā is a terrestrial tree that grows to around 15 metres tall with a trunk up to 1 metre or more in diameter. It produces masses of red flowers in summer. Unlike its relative, Northern Rātā, which has more of an orange/pink hue to the flowers, this species rarely grows as an epiphyte (on other plants/trees).

Clover

Latin name: Trifolium Repens

Native? No

Our source: Tarras

White clover is a perennial flower that is considered one of New Zealand’s most important pasture plants. It is sown throughout the country to maintain high feed qualities for farmers and it enhances the soil by fixing nitrogen. It grows fast in fertile soil but struggles in dry areas, unlike its sibling the red clover (Trifolium Pretends).

Mānuka

Latin name: Leptospermum Scoparium

Native? Yes

Our source: Wānaka, Kaikōura, Westland

Also called Mānuka Myrtle, New Zealand Tea Tree, Broom Tea-Tree, or just Tea Tree. The mānuka tree is a species of flowering plant in the myrtle family Myrtaceae, native to New Zealand (including the Chatham Islands) and south-east Australia. Its flowers are predominantly white but can appear in shades of pink, too.

The mānuka plant has extraordinary properties that are transferred into the honey the bees produce, resulting in a healthier honey than usual. The golden liquid is tested for the grade of health properties within it after harvest. Because of this, not all of our hives in close proximity to mānuka trees are in one spot; they are in three different locations in the South Island. We are therefore able to offer three options of this sought-after honey for our guests to try.

You can read this Farm Story for more on mānuka honey and what makes it special.

Photographer: Taylor Pass Honey

Pop into Wānaka Lavender Farm at any time of year to taste these mouth-watering honeys or shop the Lakes Honey range online.

We wouldn't be able to offer this delicacy without our partners at Taylor Pass Honey who look after the bees. Their hives are set up, kept orderly, taken away, and replaced by the incredible team.