- Est. Median Value
- $379K
- Median Weekly Rent
- $200/wk
- Safety Score
- 74/100
- Green Space
- 81%
- Current Weather
- -0.6°C
- Median Age
- 58 yrs
~51 crimes/1k/yr
few clouds
Living in Denniston
Denniston is the plateau town that gravity built and coal sustained, and one of the most atmospheric heritage sites on the South Island's west coast. The settlement sits at 600 metres on the Denniston Plateau above Westport, reached by the Denniston Incline - the near-vertical cable railway that lowered loaded coal wagons down a slope that would give a mountain goat pause, with empty wagons going up on the counterbalance as the loaded ones came down, a system that operated from 1879 to 1967 and that the engineering world still regards with a certain respectful disbelief.
At its peak Denniston was a town of 1,500 people living at altitude on a treeless, windswept plateau with coal as the complete economic rationale. The community that existed up here - the school, the hospital, the sports clubs, the social life conducted in horizontal rain - is one of the West Coast's most remarkable social stories, told in Jenny Pattrick's novel Denniston Rose and in the heritage park that now preserves what the weather hasn't taken.
The plateau today is a heritage destination: the incline's remains, the original buildings and the coal mining infrastructure preserved in a landscape that the plateau's climate maintains in a state of permanent dramatic austerity. A handful of people still live up here, which says something about either the views or the character of the residents.
Westport provides all services. The incline no longer runs, which is how most visitors prefer it.
Is Denniston a good place to live?
Denniston is home to roughly 963 people across 219.3 km². On Suburb's overall livability scale, Denniston scores 61 out of 100, with a safety score of 74/100 and 81% green space.
Housing: The estimated median value is around $379K, and weekly rent typically sits around $200.
Lifestyle: Denniston has cafés, shops and things to do nearby. The current temperature is -0.6°C. See the Weather tab for monthly averages.
Whether Denniston is right for you depends on what you’re looking for. Use the data and community tips below to decide if it suits your lifestyle, family and budget.
Map
Livability Breakdown
- Safety74
- Amenities10
- Schools0
- Housing Affordability99
- Green space100
- Community56
- Transport15
Some dimensions are still pending data: schoolQuality.
Property & Economics
- Est. Median Value
- $379K
- Median Weekly Rent
- $200/wk
- Median HH Income
- $44K/yr
- Pop. Growth (5yr)
- +5.9%
- Data Year
- 2023
Key Financial Indicators (NZD)
† Est. Median Value is suburb.co.nz's own estimate, modelled from available public data. We aim for accuracy, but where data is limited, estimates may be imprecise.
Nearby Suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
- Where is Denniston?
- Denniston is on the Denniston Plateau at around 600 metres above Westport on the West Coast, reached via the Denniston Road from the coastal town.
- What is the Denniston Incline?
- The Denniston Incline was a near-vertical cable railway that lowered coal from the plateau to Waimangaroa below from 1879 to 1967, one of New Zealand's most remarkable pieces of industrial engineering, with preserved remains now part of the heritage site.
- What can you see at Denniston today?
- The Denniston Heritage Park preserves coal mining infrastructure, original buildings, the incline's remains and the dramatic treeless plateau landscape, with interpretation of the community that lived here for nearly a century.
- What is the Denniston Rose?
- The Denniston Rose is Jenny Pattrick's 2003 novel set in Denniston's coal mining community, one of New Zealand's bestselling historical novels, which brought the plateau's story to a national audience.
- How do I get from Westport to Denniston?
- By car, around 20 minutes via the Westport-Ngakawau Highway and then the Denniston Road climbing to the plateau. The road is sealed but steep on the upper section.
- What is the postcode for Denniston?
- The postcode for Denniston is 7891.
- What is the population of Denniston?
- Denniston has 963 residents, based on the 2023 Census.
Explore Denniston
Things to do(1)
Remains of old aerial ropeway
Parks & green spaces
Parks and reserves for this area haven’t been catalogued yet.
Healthcare
Pharmacies and clinics for this area haven’t been catalogued yet.
Tradies & Services in Denniston
Tradies & services(1)
Bad Horse Bikes
Professional Services in Denniston
Professional services(1)
Cleanersdunedin.Co.Nz
Denniston Weather
Current conditions: -0.6°C, few clouds
| Month | High (°C) | Low (°C) | Rainfall (mm/day) | Sunshine (hrs/day) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ☀️ Jan | 21.1 | 10.35 | 110.33 | 11.27 |
| ☀️ Feb | 19.53 | 9.98 | 253.03 | 9.31 |
| 🍂 Mar | 17.95 | 7.75 | 193.53 | 9.1 |
| 🍂 Apr | 15.87 | 6.36 | 213.33 | 7.33 |
| 🍂 May | 12.89 | 4.91 | 256.27 | 5.51 |
| ❄️ Jun | 10.52 | 2.22 | 235.3 | 5.35 |
| ❄️ Jul | 9.79 | 1.85 | 207.57 | 5.62 |
| ❄️ Aug | 10.58 | 1.94 | 334.2 | 6.14 |
| 🌸 Sep | 12.25 | 3.64 | 285.97 | 6.66 |
| 🌸 Oct | 13.92 | 4.7 | 300.17 | 7.95 |
| 🌸 Nov | 16.12 | 6.31 | 272.87 | 9.53 |
| ☀️ Dec | 19.14 | 9.68 | 266.5 | 10 |
Denniston Community
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