Back in November, we found ourselves with a balmy day after riding the Old Ghost Road, and in no rush to head home to Christchurch. We took a chance on one of those iconic yellow AA arrows displaying ‘Denniston Plateau’, skipping the turn-off to the historic mining site and following the sign to the mountain biking trails.
I’d heard whispers of something up there from a friend years ago, and now was the time to check it out.
The lone kiosk in the landscape indicated the trailhead. We looked at the map board, picked a couple of trails we were keen to hit, and got kitted up.
In a short 20 minutes, my mind was blown by what was here and I knew we needed to come back; Denniston Plateau was fast-tracked it to the top of the list of places to ride again before the end of the year.
We convinced some good friends to head to Westport between Christmas and the start of 2023. Westport probably doesn’t spring to mind as a vibrant summer destination, but hear me out—it’s a funky town with some great hidden gems. Some even say that it’s good on a
