Ghost mushrooms: the annual phenomenon lighting up NSW South Coast
Mushrooms might not ordinarily be a hot topic among photographers, but a rare breed of bioluminescent fungi is quickly challenging that perception in Australia.
The ghost mushroom or glow mushroom season is now in full bloom, with the curiously luminous fungi now beginning to pop up at night at different spots around the country.
There have been some spectacular photographs to emerge from the South Coast of New South Wales in particular in recent weeks. So what are ghost mushrooms, and where do you find them?
What are ghost mushrooms?
Ghost fungus or glow mushrooms are a particular type of mushroom that grows on rotting wood. Their formal name is Omphalotus nidiformis.
They emanate a soft glow on nights when the moonlight isn’t particularly bright. For photographers, a long-exposure technique means they can highlight the bioluminescence.
Autumn is said to be the ideal time to spot ghost mushrooms. You’ll need to ensure your eyes have adjusted to the darkness of night in order to find them, so faint is the glow to the human eye.
Experts say that although they look like an oyster mushrooms, they are poisonous and are not to be consumed.
For this reason, people are advised to refrain from picking or touching them – especially from national parks
Where can you find ghost mushrooms?
Ghost mushrooms typically call parts of south-east Australia home, including in NSW, Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania.
In New South Wales, the mushrooms are regularly spotted in Belanglo State Forest, the Blue Mountains, the Illawarra region and Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park.
This year, other locations have included Tura Beach, Seven Mile Beach National Park near Gerroa, Bournda National Park, as well as a much-publicised cluster of the curious fungi near Merimbula.
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