By Sophie Brennan · Australia & Pacific Property Editor
Kokomo Private Island occupies a 140-acre leasehold island in the Kadavu Group, 45 minutes south of Pacific Harbour, Fiji. The island fronts the Great Astrolabe Reef — the world's fourth-largest barrier reef — providing a marine environment of extraordinary quality for divers and snorkellers. Australian entrepreneur Garry Nolan invested $50 million to transform the previously uninhabited island into a resort with 21 beachfront bures (villas) and 5 clifftop residences, which opened in 2016 and immediately achieved Forbes Five-Star status — one of only three Fiji properties to have done so.
Developer: Garry Nolan and Kokomo Island Ltd
Garry Nolan — founder of the Global Thermostat carbon capture company and a long-time Fiji visitor — invested on the basis that the Kadavu Group's remoteness had preserved a marine environment superior to Fiji's more accessible northern resorts. The $50 million investment in a single island was an extraordinary private commitment to a destination play, and the Forbes Five-Star outcome vindicated it within months of opening.
The residential programme gives buyers freehold ownership of a clifftop residence — a structure unique in Pacific Island property markets, where most resort villas are leasehold from indigenous Fijian landowners. Kokomo's freehold positions were secured through a complex negotiation with the local mataqali (land-owning clan) and represent a genuine rarity in the Fiji market.
Unit Types and Pricing
- Clifftop Residences (3–4 bed) — From USD 4.5 million freehold, the island's most private positions with panoramic reef views.
- Beachfront Bures (2–3 bed) — USD 2.8–$3.8 million leasehold, on the island's primary coral-sand beach.
Fiji investment incentives: The Fijian government offers hotel and resort investment incentives through the Investment Fiji framework, including import duty concessions on construction materials and hotel equipment. For resort properties above $2 million, tax holidays of up to 13 years on hotel income are available. Buyers should engage a Fiji-based solicitor and an investment migration consultant familiar with the iTaukei Land Trust (TLTB) leasehold processes.
Amenities and Destination Appeal
Kokomo's resort facilities include three restaurants, two pools, a PADI five-star dive centre, a spa, and a children's programme operated to the same quality standards as the adult experience. The island's 23 resident staff per guest position provides a level of attention that even neighbouring high-end Fiji resorts cannot match. The Great Astrolabe Reef — accessible by a 10-minute boat ride — is consistently ranked among the world's top dive sites.
Pacific Harbour is reachable from Nadi (NAN) by road (2.5 hours) or by Pacific Sun charter flight (30 minutes). From Pacific Harbour, the island transfer is by helicopter (15 minutes) or boat (45 minutes). Nadi International Airport has direct connections to Sydney, Melbourne, Auckland, Los Angeles, Singapore, and Hong Kong.
Verdict: Fiji's finest private island product and one of the South Pacific's most remarkable resort ownership opportunities. The Forbes Five-Star rating, the Great Astrolabe Reef access, and the freehold clifftop structure make this a uniquely compelling Pacific asset. Entry price is high but the marine environment is genuinely irreplaceable.