Climbing onto the Denniston Plateau, you leave the West Coast bush behind for a windswept, sub-alpine world that doesn't look like anywhere else round here. The old coal-mining past has left its mark all over the place, weathered and exposed, with the ranges on one side and the coastline dropping away below.

The loop runs about 11 km and the going is rough most of the way. It's a route for capable 4WDs and drivers who know what they're doing, with plenty of country that demands a bit of care.

Being a loop, you get the full sweep of the plateau without doubling back on yourself. The big panoramas and the wild, exposed feel are the payoff for the effort getting up here. Sits above Westport if you're working out where to start.