Beekeeping: A window into the natural world

For Margaret River beekeeper Hank Durlik, the joy of keeping bees goes far beyond the honey. It's about learning as you go, connecting with nature and enjoying the rewards along the way.

Born and raised in Margaret River, Western Australia, Hank Durlik has always felt at home in the bush. Growing up with a father who was a forester, he developed an early love for wildflowers and orchids, a passion that eventually grew into a career sharing the region's remarkable natural beauty through guided wildflower tours.

But there's another side to Hank's connection with nature: beekeeping.

A little patience goes a long way

Like many beekeepers, Hank's journey hasn't been without a few hurdles. When he first introduced his Flow Super, he struggled to get his bees moving up into the Flow Frames.

Rather than give up, he tried something different. After rubbing beeswax across the frames, he put the super back on the hive. Within a week, the bees had moved in and started building up their honey stores.

It's a good reminder that beekeeping is a journey of learning, experimenting and getting to know your bees.

As Hank puts it:

"You've got a gut feeling for it and you just get to know your bees and what they do and what they don't."

And the rewards? Well, they're pretty sweet. Hank now enjoys sharing his honey with friends and family, often telling them about the flowers his bees have been visiting and how each nectar source creates a different flavour.

Seeing the world through a beekeeper's eyes

Keeping bees has also deepened Hank's appreciation for the natural world around him. Living in a region recognised for its extraordinary biodiversity, he's become even more observant of the flowering trees, native orchids and wildflowers that sustain local pollinators.

Through his wildflower tours, Hank encourages people to look beyond a beautiful flower and understand its place in nature's bigger picture.

"It's the whole cycle, isn't it really?"

From the changing seasons to the honey in the jar, every part is connected. The flowers provide nectar, the bees carry out their essential pollination work, and the beekeeper gets a little window into this remarkable relationship

For Hank, that's part of the magic of keeping bees: there's always something new to discover, something to learn and something wonderful to share.

And sometimes, after a little patience and persistence, the sweetest rewards are waiting inside the hive.

Wildflower, native orchid and pollinator photography throughout this episode courtesy of Hank Durlik -Margaret River Exposed.