The 1885 decision that made it possible
In 1881 a beekeeper named August Fiebig brought 12 Ligurian beehives from Italy to South Australia. By 1884 he had established colonies on Kangaroo Island. The following year, the South Australian Parliament passed an Act declaring KI a sanctuary for Ligurian bees, the first protected bee sanctuary in the world. The reasoning was that the island's isolation from the mainland would keep the strain pure.
That decision is still in effect. Importing live bees, used hive equipment or honey from the mainland is prohibited. Every other Ligurian colony on the planet has since been cross-bred with other honeybee subspecies. KI is the only place the original strain still exists in its untouched form.
Why the quarantine matters now
Globally, honeybees are in trouble. Varroa mite has spread to nearly every honey-producing country in the world, and it reached the Australian mainland in 2022 (it had been kept out until then). KI's quarantine kept the mite off the island. The same is true for American foulbrood, European foulbrood and a range of other diseases that have devastated colonies elsewhere.
That makes KI Ligurian bees one of the world's most genetically valuable bee populations. Researchers and breeders draw on the strain for breeding programs. It is also why, when you watch a KI hive at work, you are watching something that no longer exists anywhere else in the same form. Visitors who tour a working apiary usually leave saying the same thing: they had no idea the story went that far back.
What it tastes like
Ligurian honey from KI is mild, clean and notably consistent. It crystallises naturally into a smooth creamed honey, which is the form most jars are sold in. The flavour shifts with the season and the flora the bees forage, so the team at the on-island shop will walk you through what is current and let you taste before you choose. Single-origin jars carry the source flora on the label, with current releases including Boobialla, Eucalyptus Remota and Eucalyptus Cosmophylla.
Beyond honey itself, The Kangaroo Island Ligurian Bee Co produces ice cream, nougat, candles, beeswax and skincare from the same Kingscote operation. The business is owned by Brenton and Verity (also the family behind Little Sahara Adventure Centre and Kangaroo Island Outdoor Action at Vivonne Bay), with Brenton's father Peter Davis still working alongside them as the original founder. They manage around 1,200 hives moved around the island according to flora and seasons, and produce an average of 65 tonnes of honey each year, hand-packed on site.
Two dollars from each jar of Eucalyptus Remota goes to The Kangaroo Island Bee Fund, a sub-fund of the Australian Communities Foundation administered in South Australia by Foundation SA.
Where to buy it (and how to actually see it being made)
On the island, the easiest stop is Island Beehive at 59 Playford Hwy, Kingscote. The shop is open daily 9am to 5pm (closed Christmas Day) with large bus parking and disability access. Walk in any day for a tasting and direct purchase.
If you want to see how the honey is actually made, the 30-minute GUIDED Behind The Scenes Tour runs four times daily at 10am, 11am, 1:30pm and 2:30pm. It is $27 adult, $15 child (5 to 12), free for children 0 to 4, and includes a tasting and a complimentary gift. Group rates of $17 per person are available for groups of 10 or more (group rates do not include the ice cream or complimentary gift). School groups are $10 per person with the leader free. The tour is indoor and disability accessible. Hairnets are worn through the production area.
For a hands-on experience, the 90-minute Beekeeping Experience Tour ($157 per person, ages 6 and up, capped at 8) and the 6-hour Day in a Life of a Beekeeper ($997 per person, ages 8 and up, capped at 4) are both enquiry-only and weather dependent. Closed footwear and socks are essential; guests should avoid heavily scented products or perfume; any bee allergy must be disclosed at the time of booking.
For mainland readers, The Kangaroo Island Ligurian Bee Co ships Australia-wide. Honey is shelf-stable for years, so anything you order keeps until you finish it.
Bringing it home
A 500 g jar of creamed honey is the perfect gift to take off the island. It survives checked luggage (wrap it in a sock and a zip-lock bag), it keeps indefinitely, and it is unmistakeably KI. Locals usually buy two or three jars on the way back to the ferry: one to eat, one to gift, one to keep for the cheese board.