Hey Mick, glad to have you with us!
I'm sure you'll learn a lot here about bees & beekeeping. Be sure to check out the tutorials on the main Beemaster page - that's where I started about six years ago. Also check your local library for books & videos about beekeeping.
Please update your profile to include your location. Much of beekeeping is location-specific, so we'll be better able to answer your questions if we know where you are. We have a number of KS beeks here on the forum, I'm sure they'll be chiming in soon.