Wood ear mushrooms, Auricularia cornea, are often seen for sale in Asian food shops. The grow quite widely on the east coast – I have seen them around the Lismore area, and they grow in the Cairns area as well as in the Hunter valley, where you can find an excellent description here.
I don’t have an image in my collection, but if someone would be kind enough to donate one, I would be happy to use it and give appropriate credit.
I have not eaten this one, and don’t know how to cook it either, but would be happy to have information on this. Cultures of these mushrooms are available in Australia, via an enthusiast, on the east coast at least.
Update 29 June 2012
I have had a kind offer of use of images from Kathy. Here is one reproduced below.
Auricularia cornea by Kathy