Qantas | Find & Seek

Commune with country life at a luxury stay by the team from much-loved Lake House.

Catherine Marshall | April 2024

Dawn announces itself differently at Dairy Flat Farm, a 15-hectare regenerative property near Daylesford, a 90-minute drive from Melbourne. The first thing you’ll notice is the beguiling aroma wafting from the Bake House, tucked away inside the turreted homestead. If you amble (warm croissant in hand, of course) towards the walled garden and olive grove, you’ll meet British White cattle feasting on the sweet pastures. Back “home” – for such is the sense of belonging that’s evoked here – you’ll find the breakfast table brimming with other home-grown offerings: paprika-roasted mushrooms; yam and potato hash browns; and sourdough from the bakery, drizzled with honey from the farm’s beehives.

The property is a sister site to Lake House, the famed boutique hotel founded by the Wolf-Tasker family, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary and houses the two-chef-hatted Lake House Restaurant. With the same gentle grandeur of its distinguished sibling – claw-foot baths, antique furniture and bespoke art – the communal areas at Dairy Flat Lodge are shared by the occupants of the six suites. There’s a cedar hot tub overlooking chardonnay and pinot noir vines and a relaxed living space where the concierge can often be found brewing coffee or chatting with guests (perhaps about the beekeeping workshop and sourdough baking class that are available).

There are paintings on the walls by the late Allan Wolf-Tasker and fresh farm flowers blooming in delicate vases by local potter Bridget Bodenham. You can meet her, by appointment, at her studio in nearby Hepburn Springs or browse her work at eCasa, a homewares store in Daylesford. Passing Clouds Winery is an excellent spot for a generous spit roast lunch, served from Friday to Monday, before you return to the farm to call dibs on the hot tub.