Glenrock ghost fungus tours

The backstory

I'm new to the Newcastle region and I've never lived somewhere so wet! 

The plus side of all the rain is an amazing array of spectacular fungi each autumn. I'm slowly educating myself on identifying them, and their function in the ecosystem.

In 2024 I first saw glow-in-the-dark ghost fungus! This was on a night tour at the Hunter Region Botanic Gardens (which is a great volunteer-run organisation).

Ghost fungus appears in the Newcastle region for a few days each April/May after some rain and when the temperature has started to cool.

In 2025, I decided to track some down close to home. In the day time, I searched along the many trails in Glenrock State Conservation Area. Finally I found some! One example is the image you see above. I went back at night with family and friends to see the glow.

Over the next few nights, I continued to take groups of friends along the trail to see the bioluminescent fungus. It was a treat for young and old. People had questions that I could answer.

This made me think... would other people be interested in a night stroll through Glenrock to see and learn about Ghost Fungus?

So began an adventure to learn about running a small business. Glenrock Ghost Fungus Tours was born, with the first paying customers planned for autumn 2026.