Behind the scenes at Maungatapere Mushroom in Northland

Tann Duangprasit with a shiitake "block" after it has been removed from its grow bag.

Former Auckland couple Greg Rathbun and Tann Duangprasit, pulled north by a desire for a lifestyle change, purchased an avocado orchard on the rural outskirts of Whangārei.

Together they transformed the run-down orchard into a successful business, selling produce online through their website Avos To Go.

But their enterprise continued to grow as Duangprasit drew on her experience in foraging and growing fungi to change the fact that so few varieties of mushrooms are widely available in New Zealand.

And thus, Maungatapere Mushroom came to fruition. Advocate photographer Tania Whyte goes behind the scenes to see the process the couple uses to grow their native mushrooms.

Three phases of the velvet shank mushroom. All are ready for harvest.

Tann Duangprasit checks her pekepekekiori (NZ lions mane) mushrooms in one of her grow houses.

Shiitake mushroom spore is mixed with barley wheat.

The beautiful Pleurotus Australis (brown oyster mushroom) grows in sterile barley straw.

Tann Duangprasit with a sample of turkey tail fungi. It is grown on rotted timber, harvested then dried for tea.

The spores arrive from the lab in syringes and are then transferred to Petri dishes or directly onto the sterile grain.

More of the mushrooms on offer.