In a New Zealand first, 120,000 bees will be hitting the road across the North Island, travelling in a van that’s been transformed into a mobile hive.
They’re on a mission to follow the honey flow of flowers, taking part in the vital annual pollination that is responsible for everything from your daily flat white to strawberries, apples and even your summer pavlova. It’s flower power reimagined for a new generation, and it’s about time the bees got a free ride.
Local beekeeper James Green from Hidden Honey, who has spent the past eight years caring for honeybees alongside his two brothers, will be leading the Volkswagen Pollination Tour.
Along the way, he’ll share why pollinators are so important and how simple it is for Kiwis to make a difference, from planting bee-friendly blooms to supporting local beekeepers and creating safe spaces for pollinators.
The bees will travel in a fully electric Volkswagen ID. Buzz, a modern evolution of the iconic VW Type 2 Kombi, which in the 60s symbolised natural harmony, and helped transport a cultural revolution known as Flower Power.
Now affectionately known as Polly the Pollinator, the van has been transformed into a fully functioning “bee hive,” carrying not only two active colonies across the North Island but also the spirit of the original Kombi and those same ideals into a new era.
Bee welfare is at the heart of the project. The van has been transformed into a hive-like environment, now housing active colonies with entry and exit tubes that allow the bees to come and go as they please to pollinate.
The interior is climate-controlled to replicate natural conditions and maintain a comfortable temperature for the bees, just as they would in a standard hive. Green will oversee the colonies throughout the tour, ensuring they are safely supported during their journey.
The bees settled into their mobile hive at Green’s Clevedon bee farm at the end of September 2025, ahead of the road trip kicking off on the 12th of October at the Clevedon Village Farmers Market.
From there, the tour will travel down the North Island to connect with communities, with the next farmers market stop in Whanganui on 18 October and the final stop in Wellington on 26 October.
After that, the bees will return overnight to Clevedon, back to their home on the farm.
