Truffle hunting in NSW Southern Highlands like searching for black gold

The Advertiser

28-07-2025

Unearthing these fancy fungi is even more satisfying than eating them.
Just underneath the surface of the ground, around the 300 oak trees filling the paddock on this NSW Southern Highlands farm, something special is growing in the dark. From the mycorrhizal fungus that the farm's Tanya Grassi affectionately calls "the mother" are born some of Australia's most sought-after truffles. Subscribe now for unlimited access.
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What a find! Picture by Michael Turtle
"It's science... but it's magic," Tanya tells me, adding an even deeper layer to the experience we're having. For my next trick, watch me pull a truffle out of the ground.
Tanya Grassi and Patrick Moroney run Robertson Truffles about two hours' drive from either Canberra or Sydney. Not only do they provide produce to some of the country's top restaurants, they also offer truffle-hunting experiences during the season from June to August. That's why I'm here, to try to find some of these famously tasty treats.
It turns out that there's not much hunting involved... at least, not for me. That role is taken by two adorable dogs, a black labrador called Seal and a former explosives-detecting dog called Twiggy. Their handler, Marilyn McKenzie, explains how she has to use them in different ways: "Seal is good at dragging me to where the aroma is best because she knows she'll get better rewarded if it's a better truffle. But Twiggy is an opportunist, so she'll stop at them all."
From what I can see, they're both finding lots of truffles, and Marilyn marks with pink flags the spots where the dogs lay down with their noses on the ground. When I reach one of them, I get down on my knees and use a spoon to gently push away dirt, uncovering a hard brown lump. I loosen the earth around it, then, with a wiggle and a tug, I hold up the truffle triumphantly!
Truffle dogs Twiggy and Seal. Picture by Michael Turtle
"It's firm, no squishy bits, and no surface damage," Patrick says as he assesses it for me. "See how it's a deep rich black with clear white lines, that's what you want. It's got a nice surface and good aroma." But how much is it worth? Just under a hundred bucks, he tells me.
Robertson Truffles is not like a fruit-picking farm where you get to keep what you find, so Patrick takes my treasure from me and jokes that the dogs sniff everyone as they leave to make sure. But most of the truffle hunting experiences you can book here also include a long lunch that incorporates the farm's truffles into the dishes, so you do get to eat some of your discoveries.
Today, though, I'm having lunch in Robertson at the Moonacres Cooking School, right next to the Big Potato (which has recently been painted pink to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the movie Babe , pleasing local residents who would sometimes refer to it as 'the Big Turd'). There are regular classes at the cooking school (the winter pie lesson next month looks good!) but I'm here for a special event to meet some of the local food producers.
The Big Potato, recently painted to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the movie Babe. Picture by Michael Turtle
It's not all truffles in the NSW Southern Highlands, but it's all a delicacy - and it's all produced with care. At the Moonacres Farm, there's a focus on the quality of the soil, which helps to grow its high-quality fruit and vegetables. At Jamberoo Mountain Farm, the chickens are moved around in caravans to naturally fertilise the land. At Taluca Park, the Berkshire pigs are all free range. And at Mussett Holdings, the regenerative farm is the result of a young couple trying to teach their children about food origins.
It's inspiring to hear from all these farmers (and to taste their hard work!). But when I ask how many restaurants in the Southern Highlands use their produce, the answer is... not many. There are some places to eat that they recommend - the Moonscapes Cafe in Robertson, Paste in Mittagong, and The What If Society in Moss Vale, for example. But if you just popped into a random cafe, restaurant, or pub, it's more likely that you'll be eating meals made with ingredients grown interstate or even overseas. Why? The short answer is that it's cheaper.
Tasting local produce at Moonacres Cooking School. Picture by Michael Turtle
There are many places around the world where local and seasonal produce makes up the bulk of the food that's eaten there. Italy is the obvious one, where the cuisine has evolved around the availability of local ingredients. Even a simple pizza will generally have fresh toppings that have come from the nearby market.
But I've also experienced it a lot in my travels, in countries like Austria, Japan, Vietnam, and Mexico. Sometimes it's because it's cheaper to use ingredients grown locally than to import them (which tends to be the opposite of what often happens in Australia) and sometimes it's because that's what consumers want. Of course, there are lots of restaurants in Australia that use produce from the region - I'm thinking especially of some fantastic places in the NSW Riverina, an area known as the state's food bowl. But they can seem like the exception rather than the rule, 'farm to table' being a promotable selling-point and not just expected behaviour.
Truffle producer Tanya Grassi. Picture by Michael Turtle
Why am I mentioning all of this? Well, because I realise I'm guilty of not thinking or asking about this often enough... and perhaps you are too? I always appreciate when I'm told that a meal has been made with local ingredients, but I don't necessarily do the research to choose a restaurant based on that. I don't do that often enough when travelling overseas and I don't do it enough here in Australia.
Hunting for truffles was fun, perhaps a bit of a decadent quest for what producer Tanya Grassi describes as "one of the most seductive smells to humans on earth". But you know what else is seductive? Any good quality food that's been grown sustainably, nutritiously... and locally.
Words by Michael Turtle Michael Turtle is an Australian journalist who left his job in televisionto travel the world forever. He'll show you how to find the lesser-knownplaces, get involved in the culture, learn the history, and meet locals
along the way.