Some Local History
Wakaya Club, Fiji
Wakaya Island is steeped in history, myth and legend. First
sighted by the infamous Captain Bligh in 1789 - who fled quickly that day from
Fiji warriors - the island was invaded by warriors from a neighboring island in
1838. Wakayan Chief Tui Wakaya fled with about 100 of his men to a high,
fortified cliff area of the island and held off the siege bravely for six days
and nights. All the other inhabitants of Wakaya, including women and children,
perished.
Finally, rather than surrender, Chief Wakaya leapt to his death - and his
warriors dutifully followed. To this day the rocky cliff is known as
“Chieftain’s Leap.”
The island was sold in 1840 to Captain Houghton, owner of the schooner
“Currency Lass,” and over the years various European owners experimented
with various crops and livestock with minimal success - including cotton, sugar
cane and coffee. Fallow deer were introduced in the late 1800s, and still roam
freely in the Wakayan forests.
In 1917, Count Graf Von Luckner and his crew from the German raider “Sea
Adler” slipped inside the Wakaya reef with the intention of capturing a
trading vessel, but were thwarted by Fijian police and charged with piracy.
Wakaya has had a peaceful history since then, and David Gilmour purchased it in
1971 to preserve its delicate beauty forever. Gilmour has dedicated a large
portion of it as a wildlife sanctuary, and developed the rest by erecting a
village, school, church, a small marina and jetty, an airstrip and a vacation
home for his family.
In 1990 Gilmour opened his home, “Vale O” (“House in the Clouds”) to
visitors, who marveled at Wakaya’s beauty and simple charm. The nine bures
were added, and the property was developed as the luxury resort, Wakaya Club.
Today, the village is inhabited by some 130 Wakaya Club staff members and their
families, most of them Fijian natives. Guests are welcome to attend the services
at the 19th Century-style church, punctuated by the beautiful singing of the
village choir. The village is alive with activity, including traditional island
crafts, markets of fish, vegetables and fruit, and other items.
Archaeological digs have unearthed interesting artifacts, which are on display
at the Wakaya Island office near the Homestead Bay Beach. “Korolevu,” the
summit of the island and site of an early Fijian fortification and
“Chieftain’s Leap,” is a place of great spiritual energy and is most
definitely worth a visit.
We’ve recently erected an impressive Fijian structure to house the largest
private collection of 19th Century Fijian art and artifacts. This recreation
bure also features a sunken bar, pool table, video viewing and game area.
Wakaya is now also the source of crystal-clear Fiji brand water - drawn from a
virgin well deep beneath volcanic highlands. Guests of Wakaya enjoy the water,
which is also bottled and shipped by the Gilmours to New York, California and
Florida.
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