Laucala
| Laucala | |
|---|---|
| Island | |
  Laucala Location in Fiji | |
| Coordinates: 16°45′00″S 179°41′00″W / 16.75000°S 179.68333°WCoordinates: 16°45′00″S 179°41′00″W / 16.75000°S 179.68333°W | |
| Country | Fiji |
| Island group | Northern Lau Islands |
| Area | |
| • Total | 10 km2 (4 sq mi) |
Laucala (pronounced [lauˈðala]) is one of a triplet of small islands that lie to the east of Thurston Point on the island of Taveuni in Fiji. The privately owned islands are the site of the exclusive Laucala Resort.
The total land area of the main island is 12 square kilometers. It is 5 kilometers long with a maximum width of 3 kilometers, narrowing to 1.5 kilometers in some places. The other two islands in the group are Qamea several hundred meters to the west and Matagi.
Background
Seru Epenisa Cakobau, the Fijian monarch who unified the nation before ceding the islands to the United Kingdom in 1874, sold Laucala to European settlers. They established a copra plantation before turning it over to the Australia-based Carpenter Group.
In 1972, publishing magnate Malcolm Forbes bought the island. He upgraded the living accommodations of its inhabitants who worked on his estate. He also provided free primary education for the natives and paid up to half of a student's secondary and tertiary education expenses. He sought to diversify the island's economy away from its dependence on copra by promoting tourism and cattle and goat farming and fishing.
When Forbes died in 1990, he was buried in Laucala.
Sale to Dietrich Mateschitz
In 2003 Dietrich Mateschitz, head of the Red Bull energy drink company, bought the island from Forbes's heirs.[1]
Dietrich contracted Lynne Hunt London to turn the island into a private retreat for celebrities. The resort now includes 25 bures, each unique from one another with differing themes.[2] The projected cost per night ranges from $7,000 to $36,000 USD.
References
- ↑ Booth, Thomas H. (Oct 26, 2011). "Travel Adventures - Fiji". Hunter Publishing, Inc. Retrieved 21 December 2014.
- ↑ "red bull co-founder dietrich mateschitz's laucala island resort". Oct 26, 2011.
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