🍄 Dogs hunt pungent fungus

🎊 WHAT’S ON THIS WEEK 🎟️

• SATURDAY, 30/05/26 | Chris Cavill at Western Port Hotel

• SAT. 28/03 - THU. 28/05 | Australian Wood and Design Exhibition

• FRI. 01/05 - SAT. 06/06 | Exhibitions at East Gippsland Art Gallery

🧺 FARMERS MARKETS 🥧

• SUNDAY, 31/05/26 | Inverloch Lions Community Market

• SUNDAY, 31/05/26 | Kongwak Market

🔍 HEARD THIS WEEK👂

🐕 How a cheese-loving doggo is sniffing out the Gippsland gold

Scotch Hill Truffle Farm owner Ron Geritz describes his English pointer cross Boogie as a “cheese monster”.

In return for snuffling prized and valuable truffles, Boogie is rewarded with a handful of shredded cheese. Boogie’s mate Charlie is also involved in the operation, but Geritz reckons he’s too distracted by birds to focus on fungus.

Underneath rows of French Oak trees on a property overlooking the green hills of Neerim South are truffles that can fetch $1,000 to $3,000 per kilogram.

They are typically sold to upmarket restaurants and are usually shaved onto warm and creamy dishes like pasta or pizza to add a savoury and umami-rich flavour.

Geritz has trained Boogie and to a lesser extent Charlie to seek out the pungent fungus.

As the farmer strolls with the Monitor around the property, which he owns and operates with his wife Michelle Jones, Boogie paws at the ground to indicate a truffle is growing beneath the surface.

Geritz reaches into a plastic bag and pulls out a handful of shredded cheese. He puts out his hand and feeds it to Boogie - tail wagging furiously - who makes short work of it.

“Boogie is a rescue from Rockhampton. We brought him down when he was six-months old and trained him for two years. He's very good.”

Geritz said any dog can be trained to sniff out truffles if their temperament is suitable.

“Charlie can also find truffles,” Geritz said. But there is a catch: “He gets distracted by birds so much that he can't focus long enough to be efficient.”

Geritz puts a small piece of frozen black truffle into a metal container with four holes and tosses the container down the line of trees. He tells Boogie it’s time to hunt, and the dog starts feverishly sniffing along the row.

Read the full story here.

💃 JUNE EVENT GUIDES 🎸

🚂 What's on in Gippsland this June?

🎊 Winter is officially here – but that doesn’t mean it’s time to hibernate. 

There are plenty of shows, exhibitions and festivals across the region.

To help you plan ahead during the cold months, the Monitor has compiled a list of upcoming events.

Check it out here.

🎷 June gig guide: The best live music in Gippsland this month

💃 There's plenty of live music across Gippsland this June, so time to dust off your dancing shoes and hit the d-floor.

Check out the list of events here.

🧸 Family-friendly events in Gippsland this June

🎉 The Monitor has compiled a collection of family-friendly events across Gippsland this June.

We will update this list as the month progresses, so if you have any suggestions for child-friendly events or activities for the whole family then send an email to [email protected].

Check out the list of events here.

LOOKING NATIONALLY 👀

Last week, One Nation Leader Pauline Hanson unveiled her party’s new gas tax policy, which would see taxpayers take on some of the risk of developing new gas projects.

My colleague Archie Milligan from the National Account spoke to the Lead Analyst for Australian Gas at the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis, Josh Runciman, about the policy.

Take a look at that story below.