Hamish Ta-mé's passion for bees and honey started out as a hobby, and has transformed into a business venture many Highlanders have loved.
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The Bowral resident's first experience with beekeeping was in agriculture in high school, where students were asked to select an animal on which to focus.
"In Year 7, we had to raise chickens, and when I saw bees the following year, I thought 'hell yeah'," he said.
He went from working in a corporate position to acquiring beekeeping and teaching qualifications.
Lockdown in 2020 became a turning point for Mr Ta-mé to convert the hobby into a business.
"There has been a huge interest since lockdown," he said.
"When the first lockdown happened last year, neighbours asked me about the bees, and then my niece did.
"I heard about the tourism platform Airbnb Experiences and listed myself. Within days, I got bookings."
Intimate groups of four to six people would visit Mr Ta-mé's yard, or his other Highlands space, and get dressed in a head-to-toe suit.
Attendees have also had the opportunity to taste honey and learn more about Flow Hive - a method that has allowed beekeepers to extract honey without disturbing the bees.
The Highlands beekeeper was recently told that his experience was the highest ranked on Airbnb Experiences in Australia.
He also discovered that has been listed as a finalist in the upcoming awards for Airbnb hosts.
"I was bemused, surprised and excited by that," he said.
He said his workshops have been the opportunity to inform others on how to keep bees at home, how to extract honey and importance of the insect.
"It's inclusive and satisfying," he said.
"It has been wonderful to be part of a global movement that acknowledges and understands the role pollinators have in the production cycle.
"Bee populations have collapsed and there have been many reasons for that."
You could say he has been a working bee, buzzing away to develop a large apiary in Bowral.
He has been converting the six hectare space past the Bowral Swimming Centre into a bee-friendly hub.
The space would be home to twenty beehives, bee-friendly trees, an honesty box and a teaching facility.
"It has been a wonderful project," he said.
Mr Ta-mé hoped the site would be set up for workshops in by the end of the month, but would not be able to operate until lockdown was lifted.
The current lockdown has meant that his classes have been put on hold, but he has figured out a way to mentor others on the art of beekeeping.
Those interested could arrange a FaceTime call with Mr Ta-mé for step-by-step guidance.
"It has been very popular," he said.
"We would be coming up to one of the busiest times of year with spring around the corner.
"People have got the time to think about a spring project."
But beekeeping is not the only thing Mr Ta-mé has dabbled in - he has also taken joy in capturing everyday moments behind a camera lens.
He was one of 20 photographers selected to feature his photo in the 2020 Vision exhibition in May in Robertson.
People could learn more about Bowral Beekeeping online and on Instagram.
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