When they found out, they were tasked with letting the bosses know.
Owners Jo and Mark Saville were overseas, enjoying the final evening of their holiday.
Mark’s phone pinged with the news from the Huka Honey Hive team.
They had emailed Mark first as they feared the upset it would cause Jo, because of her huge sentimental attachment to the Bee Dub.
The Savilles bought the Huka Honey Hive five years ago, but Jo’s connection to the business has lasted a lifetime.
The original Bee Dub was parked on the junction of Poihipi Road and Wairakei Drive inTaupō.
The Auckland native had been holidaying in Taupō with her family since she was seven years old, and the Honey Hive - then the Honey Village - had been a must-do on every trip.
The classic, stripy Beetle parked at the Poihipi Road-Wairakei Drive intersection formed some of her fondest memories.
“it’s super sentimental to me.”
When they took on the business, she was eager to see the symbol return.
The Savilles decked out a newer model Beetle that Jo had driven for a few years, before parking it in front of the Karetoto Road site, overlooking Wairakei Drive.
As a longtime friend and collaborator of the Huka Honey Hive, he sprung into action.
“I said just leave it to me and I’ll have a look.”
After checking with a mechanic to rule out safety concerns, they towed the heavily damaged car away.
Shawn and Jimmy then went to work on getting it looking good again.
Because the car wouldn’t be used on the road again, they could employ some creative methods to make up for not quite having all the professional gear, Jimmy said.
“I vacuumed [the glass] out, put the seat back in and kicked the roof back into place.
