Exploring Melbourne: Mushroom Foraging in Wilson Promontory Forest

From Melbourne city (Victoria state, Australia), our journey took us over 150 kilometers southeast to reach Wilson Promontory National Park.

Exploring Melbourne: Mushroom Foraging in Wilson Promontory Forest

Locally known as 'Prom', this forest is synonymous with leisurely strolls, making Wilson Promontory an ideal week-long retreat. Condensing our visit into a weekend meant we could only indulge in mushroom picking and traverse some of its most scenic trails.

Challenges from the Forest's Bounty

Spanning 50,000 hectares, Prom boasts a diverse coastal wilderness at the southern tip of Australia, with well-documented trails and GPS coordinates. With a reliable vehicle, visitors can confidently navigate through secluded beaches, expansive woodlands, mossy rainforests, cool marshes, and spectacular rocky peaks.

We meticulously prepared camping gear, food supplies, tents, and sleeping bags. Like most folks in Australia venturing into the woods, our group opted for the Caravan Park – the most budget-friendly camping spot. Depending on whether you opt for electricity, prices vary. The cheapest rate is 5 Australian dollars per person, while the highest is 14 dollars.

The route to Mount Oberon boasts serene beauty with vast stretches of farms lining the rolling hills. In the midst of autumn, the sky appears a deep blue above, while golden-hued leaves carpet the road below. The government has established grand entrances to the national forest, each marked with signs detailing the length of the road and specifying which types of vehicles are permitted. After passing through three such gates, we began our journey into the woods.

This particular route starts from the peak of a mountain, winding its way through mountain ranges, crossing several peaks, and gradually descending into the valleys below. We traverse various streams meandering through the valleys before ascending yet another mountain range, following the peaks for approximately 30km deep into the forest until we emerge into the outside world.

The further we venture, the more breathtaking the scenery within the forest becomes. We detour to Oberon to visit the Tourist Information center and inquire about mushroom varieties. The matter of edible mushrooms versus those posing a threat to human life receives significant attention from the Australian government, which invests meticulously in the TI.

Here, every visitor receives thorough guidance, viewing and photographing various mushroom samples. All are engrossed in studying the descriptions and identifying features of poisonous mushrooms (TI staff project slides onto TV screens for viewing). Upon completion, visitors are given maps marked with areas abundant in mushrooms and those with fewer. Though initially intricate, the bottom line for tourists is to only pick two types of mushrooms: button mushrooms and one known as Slippery Jack.

From Oberon, after about 20km on asphalt roads, we arrive at vast pine forests. Here, travelers can freely choose any path to venture deeper into the woods. The deeper we go, the darker and colder it gets, as the dense forest obstructs sunlight. The driver comfortably navigates along the trails, stopping where mushrooms abound, then unpacking our gear for a mushroom hunt.

Following the rocky trail, the group arrived at Windy Saddle – a forest area boasting diverse scenery. Windy Saddle greeted everyone with a wide expanse of low grasses, reminiscent of kangaroo habitats. But just beyond the mountain slope, the landscape immediately turned lush and verdant. Here lay a small challenge: descending into the gorge by navigating along shaded creeks lined with ferns, then traversing a long marsh with boardwalks for hikers. Admiring the vibrant flower forests along the coastline, adorned with moss-covered trees until dusk, the group diligently set up camp for the night.

The next morning, despite rising early, we noticed several tents around us had already been packed up and gone, presumably to the nearby Refuge Beach to catch the sunrise. Refuge Beach is renowned for its clear waters and safety, attracting visitors for swimming or exploring the magical marine life beneath.

Wilson Promontory is truly a paradise for those who love wild landscapes. On land, there are abundant birdlife and fragrant wildflowers, while underwater, there are extensive underwater rock formations, coral reefs, and exotic marine creatures. It's a pity we're not in winter yet; otherwise, visitors could also admire the majestic whales swimming by.

Instead of heading to the beach, we hiked up to Kersop Peak to capture panoramic photos of the pristine coastline. Along the way, we trekked through eucalyptus forests and banksia woodlands (a beautiful type of shrub) to Waterloo Bay, then waded across smooth sandy beaches to Little Waterloo Bay.

Here, we encountered another group kayaking, while another group set up tents behind the sandy dunes near the crystal-clear water channel. We thought we were the earliest risers, but it turned out some Australian tourist groups were even earlier. Asking an elderly gentleman, he shared that every time his family visited Wilson Promontory, they woke up before sunrise: “The scenery here is too beautiful, every second and every minute has its own beauty. Sleeping in late is a waste of time. I've been to this forest dozens of times and never felt bored!”.

By Le Dung/Businessperson Ho Chi Minh City

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