Author Archives
Kakula Island - A Rare Island Estate
Offering extraordinary value in a coveted location, Kakula Island is one of the most exciting properties currently on the market in the South Pacific. The island nation of Vanuatu — described by designer Diane von Furstenberg as “the most beautiful” such place she had ever seen — is known as the Jewel of the Pacific. Basking in the gleaming waters of the Pacific, just off the north coast of the Vanuatu capital, Efate, Kakula Island is one of its brightest stars.
Choosing your Perfect Piece of French Polynesia
Marlon Brando was not the first famous visitor to fall for French Polynesia; this scatter of 118 idyllic islands that glistens across an area approximately the size of Europe has been winning overseas admirers for hundreds of years. Brando fell for the Society Islands while filming Mutiny on the Bounty in 1960, but the first Europeans landed in Tahiti in 1767. Captain Cook, Herman Melville, Robert Louis Stevenson, W. Somerset Maugham and James A. Michener all later took home glowing descriptions of the archipelago — one of five island chains that constitute French Polynesia — and Paul Gauguin brought the colors of its lush atolls and shimmering lagoons to life on canvas.
A WORLD AWAY IN THE SOLOMON ISLANDS
Tucked off the eastern coast of Guadalcanal, the island of Tavanipupu is part of the mountainous and heavily forested Solomon Islands archipelago, an island nation of just 600,000 people — 1,200 miles northeast of Australia and 300 miles east of Papua New Guinea. The capital city Honiara, on Guadalcanal — the largest of the Solomon Islands, is a three-hour flight from Brisbane.
Living the Private Island Dream on the Great Barrier Reef
South African couple, Wayne Rumble and Laureth Craggs bought Pumpkin Island in Australia’s Keppel Islands in 2003. Drawn to the area by the surrounding waters’ fantastic fishing and the desire to have a tropical hideaway for family get-togethers, they fell head over heels when they first saw this pristine private island in Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. Today, Wayne and Laureth still live on the idyllic island and their charming resort — perhaps the ultimate home business — offers five comfortable beach cottages at the ocean’s edge. Cottages are self-contained
Muskoka: Ontario’s Land of Lakes
With its sandy beaches and shimmering lakes, tumbling waterfalls and dramatic pink granite cliffs, Muskoka region is one of Ontario’s most prized jewels. The region, which spreads from the shores of Georgian Bay islands in the west to the vast wilderness of Algonquin Provincial Park in the east, offers something for everyone. With roughly 1,600 lakes, water sports, fishing and boating are popular pastimes for visitors and residents alike. Luscious pine forests and thick maple woodland offer a variety of trails for the outdoors enthusiast. The region is also home to a rich cultural history and a unique artistic heritage, not to mention plenty of golf and tennis courts, and picturesque towns and lakeside villages. Even the air in Muskoka is easier on the lungs, as the region is located above sea level, on the Canadian Shield.
Frank Lloyd Wright’s Island Design - Inquire for Price
Looking down at the Massaro House cantilevering over Lake Mahopac from its Petra Island perch is like observing an elegant water bird that’s comfortably earthbound but prepared to soar in an instant. It’s the kind of organic design that could only have sprung from one mind. Nearly 60 years after legendary American architect Frank Lloyd Wright created the home’s original sketches, Putnam County, N.Y. resident Joseph Massaro has allowed that vision to take flight.
Seven-star Seclusion in the South Pacific
Proclaimed one of the hundred most beautiful hotels and resorts in the world by Hideaway Hotels, Laucala Island (pronounced Lothala) opened in 2009 to guests seeking the utmost discretion and privacy amid almost unimaginable tropical splendor. Once owned by publishing magnate Malcolm Forbes, Laucala was bought by Red Bull owner Dietrich Mateschitz in 2002. One of Fiji’s northeastern-most islands (the nation has 322 islands), Laucala distinguishes itself in a crowded field of highly qualified contenders—and soars above the competition. Laucala is, quite simply, idyllic. Unofficial estimates put the cost of Mateschitz’s redevelopment at an incredible $30,000,000. At this level of excellence, exceptional service, extraordinary cuisine, a fine wine cellar, and exquisite surroundings are, as one would expect, de rigueur.
The Cinderella of the Grenadines
The Cinderella of the Grenadines, Baliceaux is often overlooked in favor of its celebrity siblings, Mustique and Bequia. All three islands sit just south of Kingstown, population 25,000, the capital of the nation of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Now perfectly poised to follow in international tourism destinations Mustique and Bequia’s footsteps, it is time [...]
Island Buying in the Bahamas
Why buy? “The Bahamas have the best beaches on earth,” declares Kevin. “What also makes us stand out from a lot of other places is that we’re just a stone’s throw from the U.S. There are direct flights to Nassau, which makes it easy for people from Europe to get here. And there is a stable democracy, which makes buying here even more appealing.”
Scott Island, British Columbia
Just three miles across the Stuart Channel from the Vancouver Island town of Chemainus, Scott Island is a tree-covered, 5.26-acre gem, easily accessible by boat, floatplane, or helicopter. A regular ferry service from Chemainus links to nearby Thetis Island, from where a quick boat trip then gets you to Scott. Amenity-wise, anything not readily available at Chemainus can be found in the larger city of Nanaimo, population 70,000, about 20 miles to the north.