I don't build roads in anything but meadows and I use the hoe liberally. River to cross, no to bridges just fill in with earth. I remove rocks and trees, path around hills that are too steep to path over etc. I'll build stone roads through and near my main base simply because they are easier to see.

Any place else I sail, build a portal when I make land fall, mine and gather what I can, load anything that can't be portalled on the boat and take every thing else back through the portal. When the boat is full I sail it back. If there are still resources on that island to exploit I take my axe to the boat, portal back, and rebuild the boat. Rinse, repeat. I'll move the boat and portal around the coast until I've removed every thing of value and on the last trip with the boat i'll dismantle the portal before I leave. If the island has other farmable resources after all the ore has been mined I'll build an outpost or a portal hub and move to the next island.