Wakaya

Wakaya is a privately owned island in Fiji's Lomaiviti archipelago. Situated at 17.65° South and 179.02° East, it covers an area of 8 square kilometers. It is 18 kilometers from Ovalau, the main island in the Lomaiviti Group.

Wakaya was purchased in 1973 by David Harrison Gilmour, a gold-mining entrepreneur who has developed the island, building 22 kilometers of roads, a fresh water reservoir, a marina, jetty, village, church, gym, school and a recently upgraded runway. He has also developed the Wakaya Club, an exclusive resort.

Sections of the 1983 pirate adventure film "Nate and Hayes" (also known as "Savage Islands") were filmed on Wakaya.

History

The first attempt to make sugar in Fiji was on Wakaya Island in 1862 but this was a financial failure. [ cite book |title=Brown or white? a history of the Fiji sugar industry, 1973 - 1973 |last=Moynagh |first=Michael |authorlink= |coauthors= |year=1981 |publisher=Australian National University |location=Canberra |isbn= |pages= p. 13]

References