Take a train ride along the old coal transport road high above the dramatic Waimangaroa Gorge and walk 200 metres into the first of the historic 1880's Denniston coal mines. State-of-the-art audio and visual effects simulate the harsh life of a Denniston miner. Here you will perform your allocated miners job; putting up pit props, shovelling coal, more...
A truly authentic, unique and interactive mine experience
Hardy souls.. ..lived and worked in the windswept bleakness of Denniston`s infamous mountain plateau on New Zealand's wild West Coast. Midst the endless tapping of picks, creaking of props and earthy black soot of ever present coal dust from an 1880s coal mine, a proud and close-knit community formed within this remarkable land of contrasts.
Plunge deep... ...into the darkness of one of New Zealand's oldest sources of energy and industrial innovation.
Reveal... ...your own pioneering spirit tagging into the Banbury mine and becoming part of its underground workings - swinging banjo shovels, clipping coal tubs, erecting pit props and imagining the extremes of life at the coalface.
Banbury 1879-1890 - New Zealand's only authentic and interactive underground coal mine still open to the public. Take a journey inward at the place all but forgotten.
Learn why Denniston was considered the "8th Wonder of the World" and either loved or loathed by locals.
Explore walking and mountain biking around Denniston, along with other natural West Coast attractions.
Our thanks to the contributors to the Denniston Development Project