Tasmania's 2017 truffle harvest begins | Photos

Truffles of Tasmania, at Needles, is one of the largest truffle farms in Australia, and is home to about 20,000 oak trees, where the ‘black gold’ grows.

The fungus, which can fetch between $2000 and $3000 a kilogram, is sniffed out by specially trained dogs, and unearthed by their handlers – the hunters.

Farm manager Mark Bowerman said the season began on Sunday, and would run through until late August.

Mr Bowerman said it was hard to predict the yield of a truffle harvest, but he was hoping to find three-quarters of, or even a whole tonne.