LEASEHOLD:
The property is in two crown lease titles (99 year leases commencing in 2013)
Testament to the solid construction of Trevor and Dianne Perrin's concrete block home in Rakiraki, Fiji is that it survived Cyclone Winston.
"It was one of the few in the area. I think we got about $85 damage to a bit of guttering, whereas a lot of neighbours lost their homes. We were fortunate," says Trevor.
The couple built the single-storey bungalow-style house about 10 years ago.
"We have been in Fiji 25 years, on and off, and we also lived on an island just five minutes off the coast," he says.
"We had a holiday home up here which we shared with another couple from Auckland and then we decided we would stay here for a couple of years permanently. The two years developed into a lot longer."
Trevor says Rakiraki is on the Sun Coast of Viti Levu, Fiji's largest island. "We get a lot less rainfall than anywhere else in Fiji."
It is two hours from the airport at Nadi and two hours' drive from Suva. "We are right on that northern tip," he says.
"The Sun Coast is a popular area because it has a very good climate." Wananavu Beach Resort and the Volivoli Beach Resort with restaurants are nearby.
Just off the coast are the islands of Nananu-i-Ra and Nananu-i-Cake and between them is Dolphin Island, owned by Huka Lodge owner Alex van Heeren.
Their north-facing, hillside house is designed in a boomerang shape, offering 180-degree views out to the water.
"There are so many reefs and, depending on the time of the day, you do get tremendously different colour effects in the water," says Trevor. "The water is so clear."
Volivoli Road, Rakiraki. Photo / Supplied
The couple's home has open plan living, opening through double doors on each side of the lounge to the patio.
On one side of the lounge is the master bedroom, en suite and kitchen, on the other are two bedrooms and a bathroom. There is a two-car garage at the back of the house.
"It is a very liveable home, easy to operate and low maintenance," says Trevor. "We have a tiled floor, which is easy to clean."
He says the home is designed for easy flow to the outdoors areas. "We very rarely eat inside as it is a warm climate. Where we are situated, the basic wind that comes in is the trade breeze from the south-east and that is a nice breeze.
"It is an ideal house for someone who uses it for two or three months of the year here. We have a guy next door who looks after the gardens.
"If someone purchased it as a holiday home to spend two or three months of the year, it is well looked after, there is no problem with security."
Volivoli Road, Rakiraki. Photo / Supplied
The power is mains with a back-up generator and water is solar-heated. "One of our major advantages is we have an artesian bore and we never run out of water. It is just like mineral water.
"We have a 99-year Crown lease on the land from the Government. There is not much freehold land in Fiji. On paper they are two lots but they are really just one lease."
The couple are selling as they want to return to New Zealand.
"We have a house in Whangarei and all our grandkids are in New Zealand. I imagine this property will attract someone younger than us who wants to do what we did a few years ago, perhaps come up for a couple of months at a time and rent out the place other times."
