Enjoy carbon-positive, historic travel and scenic views aboard the world’s first solar-powered train.
Catching the train is a part of the daily routine for many of us. But actually driving one? Not many of us can say we’ve done that. Now, Byron Bay Railroad Company is shaking things up by giving guests the unique opportunity to get behind the wheel of its historic, fully solar-powered locomotive, the Byron Bay Train.
Launched by the not-for-profit Byron Bay Railroad Company in 2017, the world’s first full solar-powered train was built from restored 1949 carriages, revitalising a rare piece of Australian rail history and resulting in a charming, nostalgic, bright-red vessel. The two-car heritage carriages had previously been out of service for decades.
The scenic journey runs along three kilometres of restored track.
On a normal day, travellers can ride in retro style in either First Class on vintage lounge seats or in the buzz of coach class, taking in peaceful Byron Bay views. The scenic journey traverses three kilometres of restored track – part of the historic 132-kilometre Casino to Murwillumbah line – which includes a refurbished bridge, all repaired by the Byron Bay Railroad Company.
The journey takes travellers through various landscapes including littoral rainforest, endangered coastal wetlands and Tea Tree Belongil Creek in Cape Byron Marine Park. The travel time is ten minutes one way or 25 minutes return from North Beach Station. The return service runs 364 days a year for up to 92 seated passengers.
The Byron Bay Train is the world’s first full solar-powered train.
Those wanting to take the driver’s seat can book the “Drive the World’s First Solar Train" experience, which offers a unique opportunity to get behind the wheel. Packages include a half-day training session, which includes a certificate, cap and badge, or a full-day training session with lunch. General Manager Robert Jarvis shared his delight at the experience. “If there’s one thing we hear from passengers day in and day out, it’s that they have always wanted to be a train driver."
Argentina is the only other country where a solar train operates, making this a one-of-a-kind experience to enjoy cutting-edge, nostalgic travel against a backdrop of stunning Byron Bay.
The train passes over Tea Tree Belongil Creek.
Prefer to sit back and enjoy the ride? There’s also a $35 lunch deal that includes a return adult train ticket and lunch at the North Byron Hotel.
Half-day lessons: $550
Full-day lessons: $960
Want to see more stories from Australian Traveller in your Google search results?
Tick the box next to "Australian Traveller". That's it.
Rachael Thompson is a freelance travel journalist. With a background in design and travel media, Rachael is dedicated to curating content that is as much informational as it is beautiful. She began her career at Belle magazine, before taking up editorial roles at Homes to Love, Bed Threads and Australian Traveller/International Traveller. When she's not writing, editing or optimising content, Rachael enjoys exploring the city's newest restaurants, bars and hotels. Next on her Aussie travel wish list is Lord Howe Island.
A national beach title, a new entertainment precinct and a run of headline restaurant openings have put this Sydney suburb on everyone’s radar. Here are eight of the best reasons to spend a long weekend in Cronulla.
Cronulla has spent the past year becoming one of Australia’s most talked-about coastal destinations. Its beaches picked up the title of Australia’s Best Beach for 2026, the town centre is now the state’s first beachside Special Entertainment Precinct, and it’s still the only Sydney beach you can reach by train.
Add a wave of excellent new bars and restaurants and two national parks on its doorstep, and it’s easy to understand why locals wax lyrical about the lifestyle.
1. The new wining and dining scene
Try Thai, Korean and Japanese flavours at Isora.
Chef Nelly Robinson has set up NOA just metres from the sand, and it includes a formal room for long lunches, plus Little NOA, a low-key terrace doing burgers and cocktails. Down the strip, Retro fuses a Mexico City cantina with an unlikely sideline: pizzas on a 48-hour fermented dough, backed by the Shire’s most extensive tequila list. At Checho’s, cocktails arrive in ceramic handbags and the pops of pink neon match the mood. Isora is another newcomer and skewed towards Asia, with dishes that rely on Thai, Korean and Japanese flavours. While Bobbys is one of the best waterfront restaurants in Cronulla, its sister venue, Meadow, is the new music room we didn’t know we needed. It’s cool and sleek, kitted out with excellent audio equipment and a roster of DJs on the decks.
2. Local favourites
Follow the locals to Homer Rogue Taverna. (Credit: Trent van der Jagt)
Follow the locals home from the beach to Homer Rogue Taverna, where Harry and Mario Kapoulas draw from mum’s own recipe book – moussaka, charcoal chicken off the souvla. Duke’s Providore flips from butcher-counter deli by day to an intimate wine bar after dark, and Parc Pavilion’s new pub complex covers everything from a casual bistro to a proper sports bar under one roof. Benny’s looks over Gunnamatta Bay, where the signature barra arrives in a bag with clams and cherry tomatoes, while Alphabet St has long paired its signature Apple Martini with modern Asian share plates. At family-run Queen Margherita of Savoy, the vibes are always high and the Neapolitan-style pizza lives up to its reputation as the suburb’s best.
Bate Bay in the Sutherland Shire was named Australia’s best beach for 2026. (Credit: Taylah Darnell)
The best beach title didn’t come from nowhere. Cronulla’s beaches and ocean pools remain some of Sydney’s most photographed, pulling swimmers, surfers and photographers back year after year. The award covers several spots along Bate Bay, including four ocean pools and the Gunnamatta Bay Baths. Follow the Esplanade from Cronulla Beach, then on to Shelly Park, where an ocean pool sits beside a grassy park and fenced playground.
4. A surf culture to match
Watch the local surfers, or join in.
Life in Cronulla revolves around the ocean. Local surfers are in the water before work, wriggling into their wetsuits. Others are swimming around Shark Island or doing the downward dog at Sunrise Yoga. In the warmer months, many are putting a full stop on the day with a quick dip at dusk. Wander the Esplanade under a wide, blue sky, and you’ll understand why Cronulla deserves the its accolades. Groups like the Shark Island Psycho Swimmers (SIPS) swim all through winter, and the beachside cafes fill with these fit folk still dripping wet and salty from the surf.
5. A ferry ride to Bundeena
Royal National Park is the world’s second-oldest national park. (Credit: J Spencer / DCCEEW)
For a change of pace, base yourself in Cronulla and take the short ferry across to Bundeena. While it’s only a day trip from Cronulla, it feels like you’ve left Sydney behind entirely, without ever getting in a car.
Time your visit to coincide with the monthly art trail. Or paddle into the calm water of Cabbage Tree Basin with Bundeena Kayaks. The boho suburb is the gateway to the walking tracks of the Royal National Park – the second oldest national park in the world and the oldest in Australia. It’s worth the jaunt along Jibbon Beach to see the Jibbon Head Aboriginal Engravings, an ancient Dharawal rock art site located on a sandstone platform near Bundeena in the Royal National Park.
6. Explore Kamay Botany Bay National Park
Wander over impressive sandstone clifftops. (Credit: Destination NSW)
Prefer to stay on this side of the water? The Kurnell side of Kamay Botany Bay National Park sits just beyond Cronulla’s beaches – its coastal walking trails leading out to Cape Solander, where watching the waves crash against the soaring sandstone cliffs is as dramatic as seeing whales breaching during the annual migration season.
There’s history here too, layered into the landscape. The Cape Baily walking track snakes along the clifftops to the 1950 lighthouse, passing through heathland that is brightened with pops of pretty wildflowers during spring. Set off early, in the cool light of dawn, to make the trek from Cape Solander to Cronulla along a well-used walking track.
7. Stay the night (or several)
Peaple-watch from your balcony at Rydges Cronulla Beachside. (Credit: Destination NSW)
Accommodation in Cronulla ranges from cosy Airbnbs to full-service hotels. Rydges Cronulla Beachside has 84 rooms and suites, most with balconies over the beach or the Kingsway, plus a terrace bar, The Alley, right by the beach. And Quest Cronulla Beach has reopened after a full refurbishment with pet-friendly studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments, each with its own kitchen and laundry. Guests can also use the outdoor pool, gym, sauna and spa. Quest Woolooware Bay is just one suburb back from Cronulla and near the Woolooware Bay Shared Pathway, which leads across the Captain Cook Bridge to Dolls Point.
8. A vibrant events calendar
Check out Brass Monkey’s gig guide.
Music lovers flock to the Cronulla Jazz and Blues Festival, which happens every May. And there’s always something happening at the Brass Monkey, so be sure to check the gig guide for upcoming live acts.
Pop into the Cronulla Christmas Market (in 2026, it’s on November 21-22) for over 200 stalls selling gift ideas for Christmas. Food lovers, meanwhile, can graze more than 30 international hot food stalls at Eat Drink Nights Cronulla.
Bring the family along to two of the Shire’s favourite annual festivals. The Gymea Village Festival fills Gymea’s streets with rides, entertainment and market stalls every October, while the Jannali Moonrise Festival lights up November with live music, food and family-friendly fun.
Yes, Cronulla officially has the best beach in Australia, a dining scene that holds its own against the city’s best and national parks on either side of it. But best of all, these attractions are all close enough together that you never have to choose between them.
