Lake House and Dairy Flat Farm invite you to learn about Aboriginal Australia through a Welcome to Country – a ceremony performed by Traditional Owners of the Djandak/Daylesford region. When you are on Djandak this must be performed by a Djaara Traditional Owner to welcome you, and any visitors to Djandak. A Welcome can include singing, dancing, and a talk.

In Dja Dja Wurrung Culture, participating in a Smoking Ceremony is a sign of good intentions and respect. The purpose of a Smoking Ceremony is to cleanse – “we cleanse ourselves of the bad spirits and open up to good spirit, or murrup.”

For thousands of years, First Nations Australians have known the healing powers of this natural landscape. The smoke is a symbol of water; when you pass through the smoke, we ask that you imagine the smoke passing over you like running water from head to toe. We use three plants to perform our Smoking Ceremony: cherry ballart, wattle and gum.