The ultra-exclusive Lawedua estate on Wakaya Island, Fiji, where Bill and Melinda Gates spent part of their honeymoon in 1994 is being auctioned off to the highest bidder. New York-based Concierge Auctions will conduct the sale on February 7 on behalf of owner Mindy Stearns. One of only five private estates on the island, Lawedua has also played host to other celebrity honeymooners, including Michelle Pfeiffer, Jim Carrey, and Celine Dion. Perched 150 feet above a private, white sand beach, the estate has drop dead gorgeous views of the Koro Sea and is a stone’s throw from the luxurious Wakaya Club and Spa, where the estate’s buyer can enjoy five-star cuisine and exceptional opportunities for golf and tennis.
Lawedua is being offered in two parcels, which will be auctioned at the same time: Residence 1 with guest house, which is currently listed for $12.99M, and Residence 2 with guest house, which is currently listed for $6.99M. The properties will sell to the highest bidder, either separately or together, during a live auction in cooperation with Philip Toogood of Bayleys, an exclusive affiliate of Christie’s International Real Estate. Designed by the late Geoffrey Bawa, a renowned Sri Lankan architect widely credited with creating the design concept of “tropical modernism,” with interiors by Linda Garland, the estate “blends the boundaries between outdoor and indoor living.”
“This is one of the most beautiful places in the world. It’s like your own island paradise; a truly serene sanctuary,” stated the seller, Mindy Stearns. “Words and pictures cannot describe what you feel when you are in Wakaya. This home has been a part of our family for years. It is where we fell in love, had our honeymoon, and baptized our children. It is a piece of heaven on Earth.”
