Westport

Westport has served as a coal-export port on New Zealand’s West Coast since the 1860s. Set where the Buller River reaches the Tasman Sea, the town remains closely tied to a working harbour shaped by river, bar and ocean conditions. Its early growth came first with the West Coast gold rush and then coal from the Buller coalfields, an industry recalled at the Coaltown Museum. The 19th-century Denniston Incline, built to bring coal down from the plateau to the rail line, is a major industrial-heritage landmark. Beyond town, the Buller Gorge leads inland through forested country, while Cape Foulwind marks the exposed coastline south-west of the river mouth. Browse nearby webcam locations for complementary perspectives on Westport and the Buller district.

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