The Old Ghost Road

A long-forgotten gold miners’ road has been revived as a mountain biking and tramping trail – connecting the old dray road in the Lyell (Upper Buller Gorge) to the mighty Mōkihinui River in the north. The 85km-long Old Ghost Road traverses majestic native forest, open tussock tops, river flats and forgotten valleys.

Chasm Creek Track

The track begins just off the Mōkihinui–Seddonville Road, following the route of the old Westport–Seddonville Railway. From the starting rise, where the line once crossed the road, the path winds through a dramatic cutting between the road and the Mōkihinui River, with views across to Warrigal Island. Along the way you’ll spot delicate orchids and mosses clinging to the rock walls, before reaching a tunnel—home to glowworms after dark.

The highlight is the historic railway bridge over Chasm Creek, spanning sculpted limestone formations and dark, tannin-stained waters. A second small bridge and regenerating bush lead you back to the roadside, emerging near the Seddonville Hotel.

Denniston Plateau

Once a thriving coal mining settlement, Denniston was home to families who endured harsh conditions high on the plateau, 518 metres above sea level. For nearly a century (1880–1967), coal wagons were lowered down the dramatic 1,670m incline railway, carrying some of the world’s finest, cleanest coal—fuel that even powered the British fleets.

Today, visitors can explore remnants of this history in the Cornish stonework, loop tracks, and the 2.5km rope road between Coalbrookdale and the Brakehead. Walk the historic 1884 Bridle Path (with the Denniston Rose app as your guide), take in sweeping views over the Karamea Bight and Waimangaroa River mouth, and enjoy the network of mountain biking trails across the plateau.