Denniston is a small settlement, 15 kilometres east of Westport, on the West Coast of NZ’s South Island. It sits on the Denniston Plateau, 600 metres above sea level in the Papahaua Ranges.

This small town was a hub for coal mining, where families lived in extreme conditions. Today it offers magnificent views down to the coastal plains of the Karamea Bight and the mouth of the Waimangaroa River.

Originally, there was only one way to access the township on the plateau: the 1,670 metre incline railway. The railway used gravity to transport coal wagons up and down the climb to the town between 1880 and 1967.

Local high-grade coal was worth the hardship of living in Denniston. Unmatched for cleanness, it supplied even British ships with fuel. The 100-year-long production history of the plateau is still visible in Cornish stonemasonry, the town loop tracks and the walkable 2.5km coal transportation rope road linking Coalbrookdale to the Brakehead.

Local activities include walking the 1884 Bridle Path, listening to commentary on the Denniston Rose app. And Denniston Plateau also boasts several mountain biking trails.