Where It All Began…
Five years ago, the Moon family opened the doors to one of the most iconic venues in the Whitsundays, Northerlies Beach Bar & Grill. The restaurant was built around the family’s love for all things nautical. They saved old boats destined for destruction and recommissioned them as nautical interest points throughout the grounds.
Surrounded By History
One of the main architectural attractions is the restaurant bar, which was rebuilt from a retired prawn trawler from Bundaberg, QLD. You’ll also find refurbished jetty poles from Shute Harbour, scatterings of rope, anchors, and old steering wheels built into the backdrop.
Shortly following the restaurant was the construction of Freedom Shores Resort, just across the lawn. Tucked away in its own private bay, the resort offers an intimate, luxury experience with unique boat bungalows, spacious suites, heated pool, and a private beach shack villa. The pièce de résistance is the “Shangri La”, a recreational vessel used by General MacArthur during the Battle of the Coral Sea in World War 2. It now stands proudly as a unique wooden deck, overlooking the Whitsunday Islands.
Fun Fact
The coconut trees you’ll see on the property were originally from the set of Pirates of the Caribbean, when it was filmed on Whitehaven Beach. Once filming was done and dusted, the trees needed to be removed, so we opted to re-plant them here, to live forever on the Freedom Shores grounds.
