Your own private Idaho.

September 29, 2006 3:19 PM

Vatu VaraThinking of using that spare $75mil. to purchase that apartment on top of the Pierre hotel? Wouldn't you really be happier here...
posted by vronsky (27 comments total)

That rock cliff would make a great lair for an arch villain. (If it were a volcano, it'd be better, but it's workable.)
posted by crunchland at 3:24 PM on September 29, 2006

I want that.
posted by Democritus at 3:32 PM on September 29, 2006

If every mefite were to pitch in $1800, it would be ours, all ours! Of course seting up timeshare with 42,000 people might be a bit of a problem.
posted by furtive at 3:36 PM on September 29, 2006

... you even get Mel Gibson as a neighbour. He owns Mago island just 30 kilometres to the east.

Hey Mel, couldya keep it down? The kid's asleep.
posted by kuujjuarapik at 3:46 PM on September 29, 2006

Serious Bond Supervillan inquiries only.
posted by Ironmouth at 3:47 PM on September 29, 2006

$70 million and not a penny more! That's my final offer!
posted by bim at 4:08 PM on September 29, 2006

*applicants must supply own henchmen
posted by lekvar at 4:09 PM on September 29, 2006

the "hollowed out mountain lair" occurred to me too.
posted by delmoi at 4:39 PM on September 29, 2006

75 million... I'm not sure that's in my budget. I'll have to seriously reconsider my budget.

I mean, heck, even if you don't build your hidden lair or whatever, even if you blow most of your net worth on the island itself, just imagine hanging out, tromping around, and exploring the island. In detail. Whenever and wherever you want. Every now and then invest a little in a rope ladder here, a small treehouse there...

Hm.

Well, I'm with Democritus on this one. I want that.
posted by whatnotever at 5:19 PM on September 29, 2006

Hm. I wonder how much of the island will be habitable once the sea-level rises half-a-metre?

Not that I really care. Me wanty!
posted by Ritchie at 5:29 PM on September 29, 2006

Does it have a subterrenean cave accessible by a secret underwater tunnel? If not then construction cost for said cave and tunnel should be deducted from final sale price.
posted by Vindaloo at 5:49 PM on September 29, 2006

I'll take two. Hey, look, more islands!
posted by loquacious at 5:59 PM on September 29, 2006

Mel Gibson as a neighbour. He owns Mago island just 30 kilometres to the east.

That depends who you ask.
posted by George_Spiggott at 6:00 PM on September 29, 2006

the apt on the top floor of a hotel is usually called a penthouse, not an apt....The Pierre is now owned either by some Israeli outfit or some Saudi group,though lucky Pierre is a French name. Globalization.
posted by Postroad at 6:51 PM on September 29, 2006

Visiting yachts are not allowed without permits, so even those most intrepid of world travellers the yachties, have rarely been able to venture there.

Oh no, not the yachties!
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 7:11 PM on September 29, 2006

note carefully that the one thing never mentioned on the page is potable water

of course, someone with 75 million will probably be able to buy some somewhere
posted by pyramid termite at 7:26 PM on September 29, 2006

Basically every speck decent of land in Oceania was settled hundreds of years ago. This must be the other kind.

For $75mil you could buy a fantastic apartment in every major world capital. Of course, I suspect that anyone who could afford this already gots them all of those.
posted by 1adam12 at 7:33 PM on September 29, 2006

For potable water I'm sure for a few thousand you can get yourself one of these:

http://watermakers.net/

and some nice big solar panels. Or for the evil villian, a small breeder reactor.

I'd prefer a house on Inishbofen, just north of the irish coast, as a summer cottage.
posted by mrzarquon at 7:51 PM on September 29, 2006

Two words: sea levels rising.
posted by lalochezia at 11:51 PM on September 29, 2006

Yeh, that's nice, but all I see is a shore break ... and if I'm buying an island, I want decent surf.
posted by Relay at 12:12 AM on September 30, 2006

how'd Mel get his for only 15mil?
posted by carsonb at 12:47 AM on September 30, 2006

Two words: sea levels rising.

That's three words -- but I see your point. :>
posted by bim at 1:02 AM on September 30, 2006

note carefully that the one thing never mentioned on the page is potable water

Actually, it does mention that, kinda-sorta:

Ownership of Vatu Vara island is free and unencumbered Freehold land, extremely rare in Fiji as only 7% of land is freehold. If every single island in Fiji were counted, the isles of the Fiji archipelago would number in the thousands. However, a mere 322 are judged large enough for human habitation and of these only 106 are inhabited. That leaves a total of 216 uninhabited islands, most of which are prohibitively isolated or lack fresh water. Of these only 43 which are freehold.

posted by Civil_Disobedient at 1:05 AM on September 30, 2006

Actually, it does mention that, kinda-sorta:

yeah, in a sneaky "we're going to dance around it and not say it outright" kind of way ... but it's never an "utter wreck" of a house in the real estate business, it's a "handyman's special" ...
posted by pyramid termite at 5:41 AM on September 30, 2006

Good point. I'm guessing the sort of person that can afford a $75 million island can also afford to have fresh water flown or sailed in every so often.
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 6:04 AM on September 30, 2006

Water for a commercial resort would be a problem. But for a single residence think adequate rainy season + cistern.
posted by notreally at 9:00 AM on September 30, 2006

I was interested in it, until I saw the typo in the first sentence; I simply refuse to buy islands from people who misuse the apostrophe.
posted by DenOfSizer at 9:53 AM on September 30, 2006