Laucala (pronounced ) is one of a triplet of small islands that lie to the east of Thurston Point on the island of

Taveuni Taveuni (pronounced ) is the third-largest island in Fiji, after Viti Levu and Vanua Levu, with a total land area of . The cigar-shaped island, a massive shield volcano which rises from the floor of the Pacific Ocean, is situated east of Vanua ...

Fiji Fiji, officially the Republic of Fiji, is an island country in Melanesia, part of Oceania in the South Pacific Ocean. It lies about north-northeast of New Zealand. Fiji consists of an archipelago of more than 330 islands—of which about ...

. The privately owned islands are the site of the Laucala Resort. The total land area of the main island is . It is long with a maximum width of , narrowing to in some places. The other two islands in the group are

Qamea Qamea (pronounced ) 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 Qamea lies some 2.5 kilometers east of Thurston Point and covers an area of 34 square ...

several hundred metres to the west and

Matagi The are traditional winter hunters of the Tōhoku region of northern Japan, most famously today in the Ani area in Akita Prefecture, which is known for the Akita dogs. Afterwards, they spread to the Shirakami-Sanchi forest between Akita and ...

History

The island was first settled by the Qaraniyaku people, led by their founder Buatavatava Naulumatua. He established Nauluvatu village.

Sphere of influence

Many islands and villages in the northern Lau islands were under political control or influence by Laucala: the villages of Vutuna, Daliconi and Mavana on

Vanua Balavu Vanua Balavu (pronounced ) is the third largest island in Fiji's Lau archipelago, and the main island of the Northern Lau Group. Geography and infrastructure This coral and volcanic island has a land area of . Its maximum elevation is . The isl ...

, and the islands of

Naitauba Naitaba Island (Naitauba, Naitaba) is an island of the northern Lau Islands of Fiji. It is a triangular shaped island approximately in diameter. The island is volcanic with coral and rises to on a flat-topped hill toward the southern end of th ...

Namalata Namalata () is a village and island in Fiji. It is located in the southern portion of the Vanua Balavu island group, part of Fiji's Lau Islands. The village is a constituent of the larger Lomaloma village. The people of Namalata descend from th ...

, Yacata,

Qelelevu Qelelevu or Nggelelevu is a coral islet in Fiji, a member of the Ringgold Isles archipelago, which forms an outlier to the northern island of Vanua Levu Vanua Levu (pronounced , , ), formerly known as Sandalwood Island, is the second larges ...

and Cikobia. Later, the islanders of Vuna (village in

) took over in the Lau islands, replacing Laucala power in theses islands.

Migration

In 1865, the island of

was sold to Europeans by the Tui Cakau and its inhabitants moved to Laucala. Later, the people of Laucala were displaced to the neighbouring island of

Sale to Dietrich Mateschitz

In 2003 the late

Dietrich Mateschitz Dietrich Markwart Eberhart Mateschitz (, ; 20 May 1944 – 22 October 2022) was an Austrian billionaire businessman. He was the co-founder and 49% owner of Red Bull GmbH. In April 2022, Mateschitz's net worth was estimated at US$27.4 billion. Ma ...

, head of the

Red Bull Red Bull is a brand of energy drinks created and owned by the Austrian company Red Bull GmbH. With a market share of 43%, it is the most popular energy drink brand as of 2020, and the third most valuable soft drink brand, behind Coca-Cola and ...

energy drink company, bought the island from

Forbes ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine founded by B. C. Forbes in 1917. It has been owned by the Hong Kong–based investment group Integrated Whale Media Investments since 2014. Its chairman and editor-in-chief is Steve Forbes. The co ...

's heirs for £7 million. The resort now includes 25 bures, each unique from one another with differing themes. The projected cost per night ranges from US$7,000 to $36,000.

References

Islands of Fiji Vanua Levu Cakaudrove Province Private islands of Fiji Forbes family residences Dietrich Mateschitz {{Fiji-geo-stub