IT TAKES A VILLAGE

Anyone remember a sleepy little town on the outskirts of Byron Bay before it became home to hot property like Harvest and Newrybar Merchants?

Food bowl Burringbar, a small town southeast of Murwillumbah in the Northern Rivers region, has all the ingredients of the “next big thing”, according to Mt Warning Tours owner Michael Simmons.

Unplagued by premature popularity, visitors are treated to an authentically local experience and genuine warmth of its small business operators.

Once a fixture at Bangalow, Heath’s Old Wares now anchors the appealing main

street. Ambassadors from every film set (Pirates of the Caribbean, 20 Thousand

Leagues Under The Sea) and hipster cafe worth its salt have lost themselves for hours in the eclectic treasure trove, packed to the rafters with vintage finds from Arnott’s tins and cream cans to antique Akubra hat boxes.

Speaking of hipster cafes, Fallen Leaf down the road has all the hallmarks of a city hang and none of the attitude.

Along with Moonshine coffee from nearby Federal, you can enjoy magic tea potions from herbalist Ash Hill.

Tucked behind the treat cabinets in the foliage-filled cafe, you’ll find Ash’s consultation room and full herbal dispensary.

Sticking with the de-stress theme, I pick up a packet of her Mellow Out tea, a fragrant calming brew of valeriana officinalis and matricaria chamomilla designed to help you drift into a deep sleep.