The kingdom between the karris: A mycotourist’s guide to spotting fungi on the Leeuwin-Naturaliste Ridge

What makes the search so alluring here is the incredible diversity to be found in such a small area. It might take you 10 minutes to walk a couple of metres, exploring the microcosm of fungal life that keeps this forest alive and thriving.

From dazzling little earth stars to giant punks and conks, fungi work their magic on nutrient cycling, turning everything from fallen karri tree trunks to leaf litter into rich soil that nourishes all plant life.

But these curious wonders that pop up and delight us in the cooler months are just a small part of the secret hidden world of fungal life that feeds and nurtures the forest all year round. A vast underground web of mycelium (mycorrhizal networks of fungal fibres) runs between tree and plant roots like a wood-wide exchange system for food and water. It’s all connected and vital to the forest’s health.

So, what might keen eyes see?

With the fleeting existence of many forest-floor wonders, you could be the only humans to witness the bizarre beauty of the bubble-gum pink wolf’s milk (Lycogala epidendrum) or a strawberry slime mould (Tubifera ferruginosa) before it fades or disappears completely with the morning mist.

Some, like the eccentric orange coral fungi, look like they’ve crawled into the forest from the ocean bed. Others have beautifully peculiar textures, such as the wibbly-wobbly white jelly fungus (Tremella fuciformis), shaggy ink caps (Coprinus comatus) and boletes with spongelike underbellies. There are fairylike little bonnet mushrooms, the bright orange fan fungus (Anthracophyllum archeri) and the stalked orange peel fungus (Sowerbyella rhenana).

You never know what you might find here. And, with an estimated 90% of the world’s fungi marvels remaining hidden, yet to be identified by science, you might just be the first to document a whole new species in this incredibly biodiverse forest ecosystem.

When and where to go looking for fungi

The best months to go searching for fungi are between May and August, after the winter rains have soaked the forest floor. And the optimal time for a foray is in the cool of the morning, when the karri forest is still cloaked in a heavy blanket of morning mist and sparkling dew.

Move slowly and get down on your knees. The lower you go, the more you see. Look closely at fallen twigs, leaves and branches, around the base of trees and on the side of tree stumps and rotting logs. And don’t forget to look up at eye level and high on the trunks of trees.

As the warmer, drier weather approaches in September and through the early summer, you might still spot earth stars in the leaf litter, the hardy punks and conks on tree trunks and stumps, or the false turkey tail fanning out from fallen logs.

Alysha Johnson, Capes Foundation Conservation Manager, recommends the forests surrounding Lake and Jewel Caves as a great place to start.

Other nearby secrets

• Boranup Forest, following a section of the Cape to Cape Track from Lake Cave to Contos Camp Ground.
• Mammoth Cave, taking the longer walk to the stream crossing, where the forest is a little bit wetter.
• Capes Raptor Centre, on the Birds of Prey Trail through jarrah and marri woodland.
• Forest Adventures, especially punks and conks high up in the trees in the surrounding tuart forest.
• Ngilgi Cave, spotting the spooky, glow-in-the-dark ghost fungus on peppermint trees along the Wardanup Trail from Yallingup.

Identifying your fungi finds

Take detailed photos from multiple angles, including undersides. A small mirror is an ideal way to view the gills of caps without disturbing the ecosystem. Note where the fungi are growing, such as on a karri log or in leaf litter. Give your photos scale with your hand or an object you’re carrying. And load them onto apps such as iNaturalist or FungiMap to ask the myco community for ID assistance.

The shops at Lake and Jewel Caves stock a good range of fungi guides and resources that focus on species native to the karri, marri, jarrah and tuart forests of Australia’s South West.