There's something wonderfully appropriate about finding the world's first solar-powered conventional passenger train in Byron Bay. The Byron Solar Train combines innovation with railway history, transforming an immaculately restored 1949 heritage railmotor into a practical and memorable way to move between two parts of town.

The three-kilometre journey links North Beach Station on Bayshore Drive with Byron Beach Station near the town centre. It takes around 10 minutes each way, passing through littoral rainforest and endangered coastal wetlands before crossing beautiful Belongil Creek within Cape Byron Marine Park. Vintage seating and the character of the restored carriages make the short journey part transport, part sightseeing experience.

The engineering behind it is equally fascinating. Solar panels on the train and storage shed generate electricity for its lithium-ion batteries, while regenerative braking returns energy as the train slows. The system produces more solar energy than the service requires, with surplus power fed back into the grid. The project received the Australasian Rail Association's Rail Sustainability Award in 2018.

The train also makes exploring easy. Bikes, prams, surfboards and luggage can be carried free, allowing passengers to connect the town centre with North Beach, Sunrise, Habitat and the Byron Arts Estate without taking the car.

It's a rare combination of attraction, public transport, heritage preservation and renewable-energy innovation, and a distinctly Byron Bay way to get from one side of town to the other.