1 / 3Denniston Coalmining Historic Area
đ Denniston, West Coast
Best for curious primary-age kids and a picnic with a view. Denniston is a free heritage site on a plateau above Westport: relics, photo panels and short walks around the top of the incline that once dropped coal wagons off a 500 metre cliff.
Fantastic area littered with relics of coal mining days gone by. Surrounded by some great walks and a comprehensive history of the work here... well done to those who have contributed. The drive up is spectacular, but it's very narrow and winding, and very steep. Keep yr speed down, and concentrate on the road. We are in a 7m Mercedes Campervan, no issues driving up.
đ Family Action Verdict
A history lesson that lands because kids can stand at the top of the incline and imagine the drop. Do the five minute viewpoint with toddlers and the Brakehead loop with older ones, and pack layers, food and water: the plateau is exposed, the weather turns fast and there are no shops. Drive up in daylight, with a confident driver at the wheel.
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đŦ What Families Are Saying
View all reviews â633 Google reviews
Ian-Lorraine Plant (KiwiPlants)
âFantastic area littered with relics of coal mining days gone by. Surrounded by some great walks and a comprehensive history of the work here... well done to those who have contributed. The drive up is spectacular, but it's very narrow and winding, and very steep. Keep yr speed down, and concentrate on the road. We are in a 7m Mercedes Campervan, no issues driving up.â
Andre and Michele Neckelson
âthis is a well preserved part of west coast history. the info boards we full of interesting pics and history. I can thoroughly recommend a trip through the museum at the information centre down town prior or after a visit here. It help give us a greater appreciation of a bygone era.â
Alec Blackhall
âAmazing views, very well set out to explore and learn about the history of Denniston. There are many information panels and photos to view and read. Well layed out paths to follow, good parking.â
Petra Hewitt
âWhat an absolute gem. We went at sunset so see the views but found so much more. Make sure you allow lots of time to explore, this site has so much to offerâ
Reviews from Google
Overview
Denniston was a coal town on a bleak plateau 600 metres above the sea, 18 kilometres north-east of Westport, and its incline dropped wagons down the cliff by rope for eighty years. It is now a free DOC heritage site with toilets and a car park at the Brakehead, where panels and old photographs tell the story. A five minute walk reaches the incline viewpoint, the Brakehead walk loops past the first settlement to a stone arch, and the Coalbrookdale trail adds an hour of tunnels.
