Using a car as the billboard for your business is a genius move, especially when you can still use it to transport your passengers. But how about 120,000 of them? This morning, I met with beekeeper James Green from Hidden Honey, who — over a quiet coffee surrounded by the hum of his hives — explained his latest project: 120,000 bees taking to the road across the North Island in what is being called New Zealand’s first mobile hive.
Green, who has spent the past eight years caring for honeybees alongside his two brothers, told me how the Volkswagen Pollination Tour will follow the honey flow of flowers this spring, helping showcase the critical role our flying pollinators play in everything from our flat whites to our summer pavlovas. “Bees aren’t just pollinators – they’re tiny gardeners of Aotearoa,” he said, describing how every flower and every backyard can make a difference.
The bees’ journey will take place inside a fully electric Volkswagen ID. Buzz (how could it ever be another car?), affectionately nicknamed Polly the Pollinator. The van has been transformed into a working hive on wheels — a climate-controlled, bee-safe environment with entry and exit tubes allowing the colonies to come and go freely while pollinating along the way.
As James walked me through the setup, he stressed that bee welfare sat at the heart of the project. “We’ve designed everything so the bees can stay comfortable, just as they would in a natural hive,” he noted. The ID. Buzz is the perfect symbol: a modern evolution of the iconic VW Kombi, once a symbol of environmental harmony, now reinvented as an ambassador for biodiversity on the move. During our chat, we even reminisced over our air-cooled cars – he still owns a vintage Kombi himself.
Throughout October, James and his team will visit farmers’ markets from Clevedon to Wellington, handing out wildflower seeds, connecting with communities, and encouraging Kiwis to create their own pollinator-friendly spaces. The tour begins 12 October at the Clevedon Village Farmers Market, with stops including Whanganui on 18 October and a final stop in Wellington on 26 October, before the bees return to their home at Hidden Honey’s Clevedon farm.
“It’s not just about the bees,” James told me before heading back to check the morning’s hives. “It’s about reminding people that small actions – a single flower, a patch of garden – can help our environment thrive.” James, thanks for your time today, and enjoy the trip across the North Island, all 120,001 of you!
