Laucala
Encyclopedia
Laucala is one of three small islands lying to the east of Thurston Point on the island of Taveuni
in Fiji
. The privately owned island is the site of the exclusive Laucala Resort.
The total land area of the island is 12 square kilometers and it is five kilometers long, with a maximum width of three kilometers, narrowing to 1.5 kilometers in some places. The other two islands in the group are Qamea
several hundred metres to the west and Matagi
.
, the Fijian monarch who unified the nation before ceding the islands to the United Kingdom
in 1874, sold Laucala to European
settlers who established a copra
plantation, before turning it over to the Australia
-based Carpenter Group.
In 1972, publishing magnate Malcolm Forbes
bought the island, and upgraded the living accommodation of its inhabitants - who worked on his estate - at his own expense. He also provided free primary education and paid up to half of a student's secondary and tertiary education expenses. He also sought to diversify the island's economy away from its dependence on copra by promoting tourism
and cattle
and goat
farming.
Forbes died in 1990 and is buried at Laucala.
, head of the Red Bull
energy drink company, bought the island from Forbes heirs.
Upon completion, the resort on the island will have 25 bures
each unique from one another with differing themes. The projected cost per night ranges from US$7,000 - $36,000. Although only partially constructed, the resort has already accommodated American actor John Travolta
.
Taveuni
Taveuni is the third-largest island in Fiji, after Vanua Levu and Viti Levu, with a total land area of 435 square kilometers . The cigar-shaped island, a massive shield volcano which rises from the floor of the Pacific Ocean, is situated 6.5 kilometers to the east of Vanua Levu, across the...
in Fiji
Fiji
Fiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...
. The privately owned island is the site of the exclusive Laucala Resort.
The total land area of the island is 12 square kilometers and it is five kilometers long, with a maximum width of three kilometers, narrowing to 1.5 kilometers in some places. The other two islands in the group are Qamea
Qamea
Qamea is one of three islets lying to the east of Thurston Point on the island of Taveuni, Fiji, the others being Matagi and Laucala.-Geography:...
several hundred metres to the west and Matagi
Matagi Island
Matagi , sometimes written Matangi, is an island of Fiji, one of three tiny volcanic islands grouped to the east of Thurston Point on the island of Taveuni, the others being Qamea and Laucala...
.
Background
Seru Epenisa CakobauSeru Epenisa Cakobau
Ratu Seru Epenisa Cakobau was a Fijian Ratu and warlord who united part of Fiji's warring tribes under his leadership, establishing a united Fijian kingdom.-Background:...
, the Fijian monarch who unified the nation before ceding the islands to the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
in 1874, sold Laucala to European
European ethnic groups
The ethnic groups in Europe are the various ethnic groups that reside in the nations of Europe. European ethnology is the field of anthropology focusing on Europe....
settlers who established a copra
Copra
Copra is the dried meat, or kernel, of the coconut. Coconut oil extracted from it has made copra an important agricultural commodity for many coconut-producing countries. It also yields coconut cake which is mainly used as feed for livestock.-Production:...
plantation, before turning it over to the Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
-based Carpenter Group.
In 1972, publishing magnate Malcolm Forbes
Malcolm Forbes
Malcolm Stevenson Forbes was publisher of Forbes magazine, founded by his father B. C. Forbes and today run by his son Steve Forbes.-Life and career:...
bought the island, and upgraded the living accommodation of its inhabitants - who worked on his estate - at his own expense. He also provided free primary education and paid up to half of a student's secondary and tertiary education expenses. He also sought to diversify the island's economy away from its dependence on copra by promoting tourism
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
and cattle
Cattle
Cattle are the most common type of large domesticated ungulates. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae, are the most widespread species of the genus Bos, and are most commonly classified collectively as Bos primigenius...
and goat
Goat
The domestic goat is a subspecies of goat domesticated from the wild goat of southwest Asia and Eastern Europe. The goat is a member of the Bovidae family and is closely related to the sheep as both are in the goat-antelope subfamily Caprinae. There are over three hundred distinct breeds of...
farming.
Forbes died in 1990 and is buried at Laucala.
Sale to Dietrich Mateschitz
In 2003 Dietrich MateschitzDietrich Mateschitz
Dietrich Mateschitz is an Austrian businessman who co-founded the Red Bull energy drink company and holds 49 per cent of the company's shares.-Biography:...
, head of the Red Bull
Red Bull
Red Bull is an energy drink sold by the Austrian Red Bull GmbH, created in 1987 by the Austrian entrepreneur Dietrich Mateschitz. In terms of market share, Red Bull is the most popular energy drink in the world, with 3 billion cans sold each year. Dietrich Mateschitz was inspired by an already...
energy drink company, bought the island from Forbes heirs.
Upon completion, the resort on the island will have 25 bures
Bure (Fiji)
Bure is the Fijian word for a wood-and-straw hut, sometimes similar to a cabin.In its original sense, a bure is a structure built of anything that comes to hand...
each unique from one another with differing themes. The projected cost per night ranges from US$7,000 - $36,000. Although only partially constructed, the resort has already accommodated American actor John Travolta
John Travolta
John Joseph Travolta is an American actor, dancer and singer. Travolta first became known in the 1970s, after appearing on the television series Welcome Back, Kotter and starring in the box office successes Saturday Night Fever and Grease...
.