Portland Roads

It is a historic place especially used during the Second War World by the australian and american armies as the base for the air force, the Iron Range Air Force Base, that was operating during the war against Japan in the Battle of the Coral Sea.

Before becoming an important and strategic place during the war, it was an anchorage for the Pearling fleets and for Sandalwood cutter in the 1800's and by the 1930's it had been used as a port for the goldfield of Iron Range - a mecca for 4WD campers that incorporates the Kutini Payamu National Park and home of the indigenous Kuuku Ya'u people. It used to have a big jetty, completed in 1938, after the gold rush.

Nowadays the place is pretty remote, 6 or 4 houses are around the beachfront and the hill and the community is a small idyllic refuge for people who need relax and tranquillity (maybe too much!!)

Crocodiles habit the close mangroves near the beach and they could be sight-seen from the sea, so swimming is not recommended here.

The small town offers two beachfront accommodation and a cafe, where is possible to have dinner on the verandah. Unfortunately it opens just for the dry season and it wasn't open when I was there in May.

South of Portland Roads there's a wonderful beach, called Chili Beach, where is possible to camp. Other options are fishing, birdwatching and beach combing.

Restoration Island seen by Portland Roads

In this area of the Cape you can learn about the story of Captain Bligh and the mutiny on the Bounty (1789) that occurred in the close islands of Polynesia, in the Ha'apai Island Group of Tonga. Captain Blight was left on a small wooden boat with some of his faithful crew, that didn't want to abandon him and they arrived until Restoration Island, just outside of Portland Roads. The name of the island was given by Bligh, not just because the island was the first experience of land after the mutiny and the crossing of the stormy Pacific but also because the landfall happened on the anniversary of the restoration of King Charles II in England.