Comfortably nestled at the foothills of Mt Warning, Uki and the ancient volcanic caldera surrounding it have long been a drawcard for proponents of environmental sustainability, permaculture market gardens, organic growers and alternative lifestylers.

But it seems that now, more than ever, they are takin' it to the village streets.

In this former dairy town, the old buttery was long ago transformed into an art and craft space, housing studios, galleries and bric-a-brac stores. In more recent times, however, the faded shopfronts have been spruced up and revitalised by new owners and new businesses whose shared philosophy is reshaping Uki's identity.

One of the newer additions – Uki Happy Herbs – is an off-shoot of a Nimbin-born ultra-alternative powerhouse that has outlets and franchises all over Australia and the United States.

Here in Uki, they will colour your world with a range of healing herbs and tinctures, organic herbal teas, ear candles, activated charcoal and a whole lot more.

At the holistic health centre next door, you can have your body, mind and spirit balanced with a Ka Huna massage or Shamanic hot stone therapy and arrange a homeopathy or acupuncture session with the Barefoot Doctors, while the Purple Podiatrist will realign your soles.

Two doors up the street, the owners of Glorious Organics offer an almost full supermarket range in a relatively small space, with well-stocked shelves of locally grown organic fruits and vegies, organic groceries, organic cosmetics and much more.

And while you're shopping for your daily bread, you can pick up your daily astrological news at the Uki Fortuna Bookshop, home of Living Moon Astrology.

A little way out of town on the road back to Murwillumbah, you can shop for farm-fresh organic produce at Avi & Zehavit Mishtler's roadside stall. They conduct regular Open Days and tours around the hot-houses where they grow a range of organic vegetables, including zucchinis, garlic, tomatoes and sweet corn.

When you've done the grocery shopping and its time to relax, head down the road to Mt Warning National Park where Mavis' Kitchen and Cabins completes the organic, home-grown experience with simple, fresh, slow food made from ingredients harvested each morning from their biodynamic kitchen garden or sourced from local farmers using sustainable practices.

The gracious old Queenslander that houses Mavis' Kitchen has become Uki's favourite 'destination restaurant', attracting day-trippers for lunch from Wednesday to Sunday and dinners on Friday and Saturday nights.

And if you decide to stay for a few days in the Old Dairy, the Log Cabin, The Farmhouse or the (clothing optional!) Secret Cabin, you'll find the fridge stocked with organic, non-homogenized milk (with real cream on top), eggs laid by the chooks outside your door, organic fruit juice, organic muesli and a loaf of freshly-baked bread.

If you're totally committed to an environmentally sustainable, organic, chemical-free lifestyle Uki is your one-stop shop for everything you need to maintain it but if you're really more into people-watching, prepare to be fully entertained.

Prop yourself up at the Lounge Lizard, Uki Café or Uki Bakery (for the best pies you'll ever find!) and be dazzled by a passing parade of colourful hippies with spiked blue hair, rainbow-coloured hair ties and matted dreadlocks chatting easily away to the more sedately-attired farmers and tree-changers.

Every Saturday morning, it seems they're all in town to buy their weekly produce at the village farmers' market but the Uki Buttery Bazaar on the third Sunday of the month definitely provides the best viewing as locals and visitors browse the trash and treasure stalls, catch up at the 'coffee oasis' or lunch under the trees tapping away to the hillbilly beat of the Perch Creek Jug Band.

Once a year, the Ukitopia Festival brings everyone out to mix and mingle for a three-day celebration of local art, music, food and the almost tangible earth energy that flows from the mystical peak of Mt Warning into this little pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

FACT FILE:

Getting there – Uki is in the heart of the TweedValley, a scenic 40-minute drive from Queensland's Gold Coast, two hours from Brisbane or 50 minutes from ByronBay.

Staying there – Make a weekend of it staying at the Old Convent Guesthouse overlooking the river (Ph: 0418 610 059), Mavis' Kitchen & Cabins @ Mt Warning (www.maviseskitchen.com.au), Amazing Wollumbin Palms Retreat (www.wollumbinpalms.com.au) , EcOasis luxury rainforest chalets (www.ecoasis.com.au), Shambala B&B (www.shambalabandb.com), A View of Mt Warning B&B (www.mtwarningview.com) or a replica 14th century Italianate villa at Castle on the Hill B&B (www.castleonhill.com).

Find out more – Phone Destination Tweed toll-free on 1800 674 414 or go to www.destinationtweed.com.au for online reservations.

 Karen Ransome - Destination Tweed Media Relations                Ph: 07-5538 7379   Mob: 0431 958 726

Destination Tweed Inc is the official tourism and business investment promotional body for the Tweed region in northern NSW. Under the Destination Tweed banner, Tweed Tourism is the region's established tourism authority, operating the Visitor Information Centres at Murwillumbah and Tweed Heads, steering new tourism product development and marketing the region for tourism visitation; and Tweed Business manages promotion and marketing of the region for business investment.