Manuka Essentials featured on Two Cowboys channel
On Friday 30th November, 2018, we met with Hendrik and Compton from the Two Cowboys to discuss what makes mānuka and kānuka (and the products made from these plants) special.
Who are the Two Cowboys?
Originally from South Africa, the Two Cowboys are a couple of Canadian/Kiwi/South African journalists that travel the world filming local producers and the crafts they make. By travelling slowly and taking in the local sights, followers of Two Cowboys are treated to a wide range of interviews and experiences from people along the way.
Their YouTube and Patreon channels are packed with fascinating stories about restaurants, breweries, artisans and other producers of great quality goods. With a Facebook following of over 11K, they have amassed a group of people that love to know that they are up to.
To learn more about Two Cowboys, check out their website and social media profiles:
- www.twocowboysandacamera.com
- YouTube
- Vimeo
- Patreon - subscription service for people that want to get a ‘behind the scenes’ look at what happens on the road.
What did we talk about?
The timing of our interview couldn’t have been better. When we were filming, mānuka and kānuka plants around Tauranga were in flower. Hendrik and Compton were thrilled to capture these plants in full bloom.
So we started by filming flowering specimens on the roadside around parts of Tauranga.
We then went to George Cafe to chat more about our products, and what makes mānuka unique. This cafe is awesome! If you’re in Mount Maunganui and feel the calling for a coffee, George Cafe is definitely worth a visit!
Our vision is to build a business that can help to bring native forest back to New Zealand. Imagine driving around our countryside and seeing more native forest… How awesome would that be?
Mānuka and kānuka are what we call seral plants (part of a seral community). They grow very fast and establish canopy cover which allows slower growing native plants to flourish. Mānuka and kānuka also help to improve water quality, prevent hillside erosion and much more.
Here in New Zealand, we are facing challenges with less than perfect waterways and erosion (particularly around coastal areas) - mānuka and kānuka have the potential to play an important role in solving these issues.
We also discussed some of the health benefits of mānuka and kānuka oil. Our 100% pure mānuka oil comes from the East Cape of the North Island. This is because the mānuka trees in this region produce extremely high levels of a group of compounds called triketones which have been extensively researched for their extraordinary healing properties.
Mānuka oil from other parts of New Zealand is also effective for a wide range of uses, however much of the scientific research has been focused around the East Cape produce.
People often confuse mānuka and kānuka with each other. They look very similar to the untrained eye, but the products that come from them are completely different.
“Kānuka oil is alot lighter. It’s got much more of what we call monoterpenes, which are a much lighter molecule. When you use them for massage, they sink deeper into your skin alot quicker.”
- Callum Armstrong (3:04)
The Two Cowboys loved our beard oil - here’s a video of Hendrik using it in Canada: click here to view.
Thank you!
A huge thanks goes out to the Two Cowboys for taking the time to meet with us and learn more about mānuka and kānuka. We’re thrilled to be featured, and look forward to welcoming them back to New Zealand in the near future.
To find out more about mānuka and kānuka, check out our resource hub. Or shop now to browse our range of products.