The Happy Bee vision started to take shape after Sascha and I watched Cedar and Stuart Anderson share the Flow Hive journey on Australian Story back in 2016. Having spent much of our working lives around technology and innovation, we were fascinated by the idea of using thoughtful technology to reconnect people with bees, ecology and the natural world.

Like many new beekeepers, my first hive experience was chaotic, confronting and unforgettable. Poorly advised, underprepared and wearing the wrong gear, we opened our first hive and triggered not one but three separate swarms. Our family, the dogs and we were all stung, and after taking more than 50 stings myself I spent several days recovering in bed. Despite the chaos, we were completely hooked.

Today we manage apiaries across the Northern Rivers region and help support new beekeepers establishing both Flow Hives and traditional hives of their own. Over the years we have worked with a wide range of hive systems including Flow Hives, Langstroth equipment, traditional timberware and more recent experiments with modern hive technologies including Lyson and HiveIQ poly hives.

Our mentoring philosophy is simple: help make the journey into beekeeping as positive, practical and rewarding as possible for both people and bees.

Along the way we have developed strong relationships with queen breeders across Queensland and New South Wales and have become increasingly focused on calmer, more hygienic and resilient bees. We understand how important temperament, bee health and resilience are, particularly for newer beekeepers and families.

Our journey with bees has also expanded beyond the hives themselves. Sascha has developed a beautiful pollinator-friendly garden surrounding her home office along with native bee spaces around our small farm, while also helping transform former grazing paddocks into regenerative wildlife habitat. Together we are passionate about creating environments where both bees and people can thrive.

For us, bees are far more than livestock or insects. There is something deeply grounding about working quietly among hives. Many people come to bees seeking honey or pollination, but often discover something unexpectedly calming and restorative in the process. Over the years we have met many people who use beekeeping, knowingly or not, as a form of therapy and reconnection with the natural world.

Happy Bee may be driven by the two of us, but we also rely heavily on a broader community of experienced local beekeepers, mentors and breeders. That ongoing exchange of support, ideas, debate and innovation has become one of the things we love most about the beekeeping community.

We strongly believe Australia desperately needs more beekeepers. Supporting people into beekeeping safely, sustainably and successfully is one of the most important things we can do for the future of bees and pollinators.