It's a match made in foodie and animal-lover heaven.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Jamala Wildlife Lodge and The Truffle Farm at Majura have teamed up for the 2016 truffle season with a package to show off some of the best local produce Canberra has to offer – plus a healthy side of animals.
On top of the regular overnight stay at the National Zoo and Aquarium's African-themed resort, guests will get to enjoy a five-course truffle degustation dinner, with local truffles plus produce from Pialligo Estate, chocolates from Robyn Rowe and wine from Clonakilla – all the while listening to the sounds of animals settling and rousing for the night.
The next morning begins with a private tour to get up close and personal with the zoo's animals. Then it's off to The Truffle Farm on a hunt led by lead dog Samson to see more truffles dug up.
"It's that whole paddock-to-plate and getting to understand where the produce is coming from," said The Truffle Farm owner Jayson Mesman.
"Knowing that they are authentic Canberra truffles, and getting to experience that. We just thought it would be the perfect collaboration, to get together and make something really special for Canberra."
Truffle season officially kicks off on June 1 and, while it's hard to gauge their growth given they're underground, Mesman said the farm is looking good.
"We'll get the dogs out and about in three or four weeks. They'll run up and down the fence line and if they start acting a certain way then I know we've got truffles and I'll let them in for their first hunt and that'll kind of kick off the season," he said.
"The season will run in June, July, August and then hopefully in September as well. But with it growing underground you just never know what we're in for."
Since opening in December 2014, Jamala Wildlife Lodge has had almost 16,000 guests through, the vast majority from interstate.
"It's enormously busy," said Jamala Wildlife Lodge CEO Maurits de Graeff.
"It's mainly people flying in from Perth, Brisbane, Darwin, especially to stay here at the lodge. And the good thing we're finding is they're also staying another night. So I think the lodge is bringing a lot of visitors to the city.
"With the new partnership we wanted to combine all of the strong products Canberra has and we just wanted to combine our strengths and see if we can create something amazing."
The adults-only truffle experience is available every Tuesday night from June 7 until the end of August, excluding the school holidays. See jamalawildlifelodge.com.au.
