After extensive research and ruling out the toxic look-alikes, I’m now 99% sure what I have is tawaka (which means I will not eat it, I have to be 100% sure) it’s an older specimen and the veil is too degraded to be sure, so I’m going to come back to the spot where hubby found it after each set of Summer rains and hopefully eventually I’ll find younger ones and be able to positively ID.

Because I found the internet lacking for specific treatment of Tawaka look alikes, and I think that would be useful, here is one. Note that I am an amateur compiling information from the internet, if in doubt, please don’t eat it. Note the place you found it, come back, check again, observe it for longer, find an expert to check in person. You’re worth more than a mushroom.

Toxic look alikes and how to tell them apart from tawaka:

Death Cap:
smells like ammonia (Tawaka smells like portobello or marzipan, a sweet, nutty, earthy scent)
Can have a sticky top.
Has a boulbous swollen base.
Usually a green or yellow colour (but can also be tan like tawaka)
White spore print (tawaka is black/dark brown)

Funeral bell:
Typically grows up to 6cm in diameter and 6cm high so could be confused with young tawaka.
My specimen is much larger and has much darker gills. Younger tawaka could be distinguished by their larger and more prominent veil.

Poison pie - apparently it smells like radish, has a yellow spore print (tawaka is dark brown/black)

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