Portland, VIC 3305

3.9(15 reviews)

Ranked 1st best suburb by locals in Western District Region, VIC

Great for

  • Pest-free
  • Parking
  • Safe and sound
  • Cost of living
  • Neighbourly spirit

Not great for

    No ratings yet

Who lives here?

  • Families With Kids
  • Professionals
  • Retirees
  • Singles
  • Tourists

Reviews of Portland, VIC

10th January 2024

"Very limited eating out options!"

Stayed for 5 nights and had 4 nights where at 6.00 you couldn’t do a walk up or make a booking for later. Only doing 1 sitting at the 5 pubs and restaurants we visited. Jan mid week. Locals don’t need the business, don’t want kitchen staff to work too hard. Go figure? Not a friendly tourist town. Go elsewhere.

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"Fantastic Town if you love adventure!"

Portland is a great little town that combines tourism with Industry, it’s never dull, so much to see and do, the fishing is world class, and if you love whale watching in winter you can get real close to these beautiful creatures as they often enter the main harbour. So many beautiful beaches to visit, the locals are only to happy help you. Anyone visiting portland must visit Bridgewater bay and check out the fur seal colony it’s amazing, Portland is the oldest settlement in Victoria, you can do a historic building walk around the township it’s very interesting, the builders have been beautifully restored. Houses are relatively cheap, compared to other coastline properties. Population around 10 thousand and growing due to the forestry industry thats grown in the area (blue gums and pine wood) shipped through the Port of Portland. Portland also has the Alcoa Aluminium smelter that’s a site to see, Industry is the life blood of this town, a lovely mix with tourism, never boring a must go to town to visit!!

Who lives here?

  • Professionals
  • Families with kids
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"Good place to visit but not to live"

Great place to visit but not particularly great to live, when you first move here it's great! But the novelty quickly wears off when reality hits. Don't be deceived by the good reviews. Portland is a scenic place with good hikes etc but, winter time is hard and mostly windy and cold all the way up to Christmas. Not really any employment opportunity's unless you have been here for years, a lot of drug problems with ice in the town and surrounding areas, a lot of friendly people but also a lot of unfriendly people. The pollution is some of the worst in Australia due to the smelter and other industrial complexes. Isolated. Good surf but inconsistent for the most part. A lot of log trucks on the roads and the extremely poor road quality makes it pretty unsafe to drive. If you don't surf here then I wouldn't bother trying to find any hobbies to do unless you're big in camping and hiking and maybe dirt bikes. There is a bit of crime in the town, recently a young guy was stabbed in the neck and died and a lot of theft goes on. I'm giving an honest review so as not to sugar coat the place. Most people end up moving out of town because the depressive state of the place. If you handle all these things then by all means move here. One of the positive things is the cheap realestate but that is because of state of the town lol. Great place to visit but if you're thinking of living here then take the time to be here for a few months or so before thinking of doing it.

Who lives here?

  • Families with kids
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marieb12

I agree salt of the earth 100%,the drug scene has made it unbearable with these lowlifes thinking they can rule the town,and the decent people get driven out

wayneh13

Yes brought a business in Portland, worst mistake ever made lost thousands, in that time met a lot of other people that moved there that opened a business or because it is geographically beautiful place but hang on in winter, also the most aggressive surfers in the world smash your car up while you are out surfing,locals hate outsiders, they all band together and support their own , full of shifty professional that all band together , so many people said its the biggest mistake they ever made,and cant wait to sell up and move , if you are one of the lucky few that get a job on the wharf or Alcoa other wise no work, full of drugs, and trash that the government moved out of the citys everywhere ask any local cop, a million miles from any Melbourne or Adelaide

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"Beautiful country town"

I lived in Portland for few years due to work commitments. It's very nice here. People are friendly, clean, green, good clean air, nice climate. It's a bit cold at winter time , but I have central heating in the house and It was awesome.
Affordable housing, good health care, good hospital.
Great cold beaches.
However, if you are not a country person, it feels isolated.
After few years I missed my social life and activities, concerts etc. As you have to go to Melbourne or Geelong most of the time for those things as well as for specialist treatment if you require any. Its 4-5 hrs drive, you can't do it in 1 day without pushing yourself hard.
Roads outside of Portland are the worse in Australia, very unsafe. Airport exists, but you have to book in long advance to get tickets and its expensive, I fly overseas cheaper then to Melbourne.
All up is make Portland tacked away from crazy world and keep it clean and beautiful but it is too isolated for me.
Water is very mineral in Portland, I couldn't drink it either.
Overall, great memories from living in Portland.

Who lives here?

  • Families with kids
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"Amazing little coastal town!!"

I grew up in Portland and it was the best place! Although it is far away (5hrs from Melbourne) from many big cities, it is quaint, friendly and beautiful. Everyone knows your name. You can walk everywhere. There is farming and coastal landscape that is no more than 20 mins from each other. Safe and gorgeous!! Great place to raise kids and teenagers!!

Who lives here?

  • Singles
  • Families with kids
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Rentals in Portland

"Peaceful"

Great peaceful town, lovely people and talkative. Fresh air

Great for

  • Fishing is great
  • Fresh air
  • Quiet
  • Schools r great
  • Surfing

Not great for

  • Country roads not so good and need funding
  • Nearest university is in Warnambool
  • Very windy

Who lives here?

  • Professionals
  • Singles
  • Families with kids
  • Retirees
  • Tourists
  • Country Lovers
  • Beach Lovers
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"Families, Forests, Fish and Farms"

Portland is a lovely community of people. Diverse range of industry and absolutely beautiful scenery. We are a young family with kids and moved to Portland from Melbourne. Have not looked back. Our kids love it. We can walk everywhere. No waiting to see a GP - just walk in without appointment 7 days per week. Beaches, fresh seafood, great fresh produce and friendly people. We never want to leave.

Great for

  • Gym and indoor/outdoor heated pools
  • Waterfront park amazing for kids
  • Fishing is great
  • Surfing

Not great for

  • Country roads not so good and need funding
  • Nearest university is in Warnambool

Who lives here?

  • Professionals
  • Families with kids
  • Retirees
  • Tourists
  • Country Lovers
  • Beach Lovers
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"HIstorical Town"

Lovely old buildings dotted around the town. Good job opportunities, but you have to ask around rather than waiting for it to be advertised.

Great for

  • Fresh air
  • Quiet
  • Schools r great
  • Fishing is great
  • Surfing

Not great for

  • Have 2 travel 2 warrnambool for kmart and coles

Who lives here?

  • Professionals
  • Singles
  • Families with kids
  • Retirees
  • Tourists
  • LGBT+
  • Hipsters
  • Country Lovers
  • Trendy & Stylish
  • Beach Lovers
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"Windy"

Portland is a very beautiful place the port is lovely, Cape Bridgewater (18km) is stunning has cafe on the beach http://www.bridgewaterbay.com.au/ so kids can play in the sand while you have a coffee, they have live music each sunday. Boat ride from there to see the seals is amazing. Bridgewater lakes you can jetski and boat, the water is little warmer in the lakes than the freezing beaches. Very green. Safe and people are friendly. Great for young children.

Weather is windy all year round, rains for at least 8 out of the 12 months in the year. It's a pain that there is no train directly to Melbourne you have to bus it to Warrnambool then catch the train. Can be annoying that the hospital often sends patients to Warrnambool.

My other half loves tuna season. They bag out nearly every trip. Some whales stop in at Nuns beach on the way to warrnambool. The whales come very close get a good view. Two years bk a pod of dolphin past the port from the clift top you could see hundreds of dolphins. http://www.whalemail.com.au/portlands_whales.html

Pickled Pelican cafe/gallery has not long opened here has wonderful coffee/food.

Great for

  • Fishing is great
  • Surfing
  • Fresh air
  • Quiet
  • Schools r great

Not great for

  • Very windy
  • Have 2 travel 2 warrnambool for kmart and coles

Who lives here?

  • Families with kids
0
Anjul

forgot to mention the strawberry farm, my kids love going and picking their own each season. Their strawberries tast great.

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Great for

  • Quiet
  • Schools r great
  • Fresh air

Not great for

  • No choice of shops
  • Have 2 travel 2 warrnambool for kmart and coles

Who lives here?

  • Professionals
  • Families with kids
  • Retirees
  • Tourists
  • Country Lovers
  • Beach Lovers
0
jordan15

portland was relaxing for us and we had no stress compared 2 melbourne ... the cost of staying in portland was cheaper and the kids had things 2 do in portland compared 2 melbourne .. we r hoping 2 move 2 portland in the next 3 months as we felt right at home and we didnt want 2 come back 2 melbourne ...

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"A Seachangers Dream.."

We visited Portland for the first time last month and I was surprised with how much Portland has to offer. There are numerous beaches (even for dogs), fishing spots, watersport activities (aquatic centre with waterslides), parks for children to play in.
I have heard that Portland is set to do well in the coming years, and note they are opening a new Aldi supermarket and McDonalds restaurant next month, which only adds to the speculation that this town is set for some nice growth.
We will definitely be heading back to Portland for another holiday- maybe next time in Summer so we can soak up some sun on their gorgeous beaches.
Anyone looking to go to Portland should not miss a drive out to Cape Bridgewater- (10 mins or so) you wont be disappointed! :-)

Who lives here?

  • Professionals
  • Families with kids
  • Retirees
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"Great place to raise your family"

Portland has a lot to offer. There are plenty of places for out-door fun whether you fishing, surf,swim, cycle, hike, cave, canoe or kayak. Maybe you are into arts, well Portland has a thriving and accessible arts community. It is also a great place for the family with great kindies, schools, daycare and a family friendly attitude to community and business. The best part about Portland is that it is the right size so you can become part of the community.

Who lives here?

  • Families with kids
  • Retirees
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"A large coastal town with big industry"

Situated just over 300 km from Melbourne on Port Phillip Bay, Portland is a busy regional hub. Portland is easily accessible by road, train or plane from both Adelaide and Melbourne.

The population is just over 10,000 and growing, driven by the region's main industries which include shipping, the steel industry, pine forestry, commercial fishing and tourism.

The town itself has a lot to offer, with all of the major services and facilities, including a number of schools. There a few pubs, and the town has a good social atmosphere and sense of community (often linked to sport).

Who lives here?

  • Families with kids
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"A wonderful opportunity for a sea change"

I really enjoyed visiting Portland when travelling back from Melbourne to Adelaide.
With a seal colony close by and some great fishing it’s an area for a lot of people.
There are a number of schools in the area making it a good spot for families. And the beach is quite a nice spot for some safe still water swimming.
If you’re into water sports like windsurfing then Portland would make a great spot.
There are plenty of good restaurants and cafés around town so you can get a decent meal if you like to eat out.
A good blend of houses from some great historic buildings through to some newer houses will make this town appealing to a number of people.

Who lives here?

  • Professionals
  • Singles
  • Families with kids
  • Retirees
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"Take your fishing rod"

If you love fishing, you will be in awe of some of the fish caught in Portland. There are many different fishing spots for on and offshore fishing. A great way to see some of the town is by taking a ride on the town's cable tram, which takes you along the foreshore. If you want to take a short drive out of Portland, Treloar Roses is well worth a visit. Its owners created a pink rose in honour of Jane McGrath. In summer, you can go swimming or snorkelling. A short drive from Portland is Cape Bridgewater, one of the most stunning beaches in Victoria. It is also home to a seal colony which can be reached by boat or on foot.

Who lives here?

  • Professionals
  • Singles
  • Families with kids
  • Retirees
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