Barry and Shauna Walker have listed their A$24 million private Fijian Island after falling in love with it many years ago.
After their first visit to Fiji, Shauna and Barry purchased Vawa Island as their new passion project.
“We saw the island and even though there was nothing there, we just knew there was something really magical about the place and we just had to go back,” Shauna said.
Barry is the co-founder of California cannabis company Dub Bros and said it was serendipity that brought the island to them.
The couple purchased the island for US$2 million from a New Zealand-based billionaire and began renovations that took around five years, which took up most of the island's cost.
“Our budget was always going to be wrong because we didn’t realise we were going to build a city,” Barry said.
“We weren’t just building a bathroom, we were building all the plumbing, all the sanitation, and you can’t just pump it out into the water.”
On the island, they built a house that featured six-metre ceilings at the highest point designed to withstand a category 5 cyclone, constructed by Australian bilder Kyronn.
It also has a 300 square metre hardwood deck that wraps around a 150,000-litre pool with four bathrooms that each have their ensuite and jungle views.
“We imported everything down to every detail and ended up with the most incredible, luxurious, open floor plan, all windows, indoor-outdoor California contemporary house,” Shauna says.
While they weren’t using the island, the Walker’s rented it out as a private holiday escape for US$25,000 per night.
According to Barry, the island runs mainly off solar power and it rarely needs power beyond what the Fijian sun provides.
“You can run the entire island with every hairdryer, microwave and air conditioner on pretty much all day without sun,” he said.
“If you have five days with no sun, which doesn’t really happen, you’re going to turn the generator on.”
Vawa is on offer with Forbes’ Ken Jacobs and Tracey Atkins, who have co-listed it with Rick Kermode at Bayleys New Zealand and Farhad Vladi at Vladi Private Islands.
Atkins said the island's dream home could earn around US$100,000 a week per a Forbes Luxury Stays analysis.
Besides the main house, Vawa has two contemporary container cabins for additional guests and staff, while an island manager currently lives full-time onsite, supported by a small Fijian team.
