Nakia Resort & Dive and Taveuni Ocean Sports for Sale

                                                                                                   Land Ownership and Leases

Approximately 85 percent of land throughout Fiji is native land, owned by local Fijian clans (mataqali), where Fijians farm and live in communal villages.  Mataqali land cannot be sold, but unused land often is available for long-term (typically 30-year) lease.  Twelve percent of land is freehold and available to be bought and sold on the commercial real estate market, while the remaining three percent of Fiji land is Crown or government-owned.

The Kellys acquired ten acres of land in 2003 to build Nakia.  They purchased two acres of freehold land, previously operated as a copra (coconut oil) plantation, and they leased eight adjacent acres from the iTaukei Land Trust Board (TLTB), the NGO responsible for leasing communally-owned native land.

All of this undeveloped land is situated on a bluff overlooking the Somosomo Strait on Taveuni.  The Kellys cleared building sites, built roads, installed power, water, and septic systems, and applied for and received all permits, titles, and leases.  Later, they acquired land on the foreshore near Nakia to build Taveuni Ocean Sports (TOS), the dive business associated with the resort.

Nakia Resort  Two acres are freehold (owned by the Kellys) and contain the four  bures, owners’ home, kitchen/office/restaurant building, swimming pool, and storage/tool building. There is ample room to construct additional lodging on this land.

The Kellys lease eight adjacent acres for Nakia’s organic farm, supplying fresh, organic fruits and vegetables to guests and divers.  Until the Kellys moved to Taveuni, local resorts relied on fruits and vegetables imported from other countries.  Through their commercial organic garden, the Kellys introduced locally grown organic fruits and vegetables to resorts throughout Taveuni.

This eight-acre parcel also houses a farm building, hydro-electric turbine, and generator shed, all on land leased from the TLTB.

Nakia’s recently-issued, 30-year agricultural lease with TLTB is fully transferable to new owners because the lease is in the business name of Nakia Resort and Dive, Limited and will remain unchanged upon sale of the businesses.  To further protect the new owner’s investment with a TLTB lease, it will be automatically renewed at the lessee’s discretion upon expiration.

The current lease is designated for agricultural use because the Kellys chose not to construct additional rental bures; however a new owner may wish to renegotiate the lease to permit construction of additional lodging.

TOS Dive Shops:  The main dive shop is on the shore at Vatulaga Point, about 400 meters (1/4 mile) south of Nakia, where the Kellys lease a ½-acre parcel of Fiji Government road reserve land from the Lands Department.  The Kellys also lease a second dive shop from a private landowner in Matei, close to Maravu Resort, which sends a substantial number of divers to TOS.