Tasmanian honey, bee travelling by train

Tasmanian honeys, sounds good. First was to know a little more and find where this state is located in Oceania, and so we learned that Tasmania are a group of islands, part of the Australian nation and being located to the southeast. Some 68,000 square kilometers, considered a world apart, since 13,000 years ago were separated from Australia by forming a group of islands.

Tasmanian honeys

And now back to honey. What makes different to tasmanian honey? Is it due to its unique flora? Is some special way of collecting honey that makes it more valued by the consumer?

Beekeeping in Tasmania. We learned that the first European bees were introduced to Tasmania in 1831, and the Italian bee in 1884. About 250 beekeepers practice pollination (mainly apples and berries) for a few months to complement their incomes. Beekeepers complain and fight to prevent the powerful forestry industry felling trees, especially big eucalyptus.

Honeys of Tasmania. Eucalyptus, a native tree of Australia, is the symbol of this state, therefore its honey is abundant and appreciated. Also competing for the term «New Zealand manuka honey«, but the most famous is leatherwood honey from tree Eucryphia lucida tree. This tree only grows in parts of Tasmania, not being able to be found anywhere else in the world. There is also Christmas bush honey clover honey or blackberry honey.

– Leatherwood tree honey. The name of this honey is due to the hardness of the wood of this tree and the look of a leather sheath that covers the young leaves and petals. This tree is only present in the forests of the west coast. Flowering takes place from January to April. 70% of the honey production of Tasmania comes from this tree, The tree blossoms its first flowers at 10 or 20 years, but not until the age of 70 years honey can be produced in commercial quantities. Honey is paid in the market at double price that the other unifloral tasmanian honeys.

Honey description: initially liquid, uniform crystallization, smooth, creamy texture and amber-yellow color. Notes of citrus and flowers, with spicy final notes.It melts in your mouth.

Bee in leatherwood flower. Tasmanian honey, bee travelling by train

Due to that many masses of this endemic tree can only be found in areas of difficult access, without roads that make it accessible, one of the local beekeeping business, Stephens family, used rail infrastructure built by miners in 1890, to transport their trucks loaded with beehives till there. Imagination to power.

Besides helping the bees to produce honey, the wilderness West Coast Railway tourist train offers a unique experience for visitors: tour the area that since 1989 is World Heritage Site, as one of the last rainforests in temperate zones. Complete the experience with the wagons and locomotives, reminiscent of past centuries.

West Coast Wilderness Railways helping bees

Christmas Bush honey. The nectar is collected by bees on small white flowers of thorny bushes called Prostanthera lasianthos var. lasianthos or Christmas tree, because it blooms just before Christmas. Other producers give the same name to honey from Bursaria espinosa bush. This honey has notes of marzipan and a clear amber color. Very limited production.

Now that we know Tasmanian honeys the best we can do is take a flight to Australia and taste its sweetness ..