The Legend of Audrey Brown
Gracious, elegant, and the original hostess of Matei.
Bushland, Baking, and Grit
In the late 70s, Audrey Brown arrived on Taveuni and bought a tangled plot of wild bushland in Matei. There was no electricity, no paved roads, and the only communication was the telephone operator who listened in on everyone’s calls—the original “Coconut Wireless.”
Life was charming, but it wasn’t easy. When her husband left for a business trip to the U.S. and simply “forgot his way home,” Audrey didn’t pack her bags. She preheated the oven.
The Cookie Lady of the Airstrip
To survive, Audrey became the island’s most beloved entrepreneur. Long before luxury tourism, she was a fixture at the grass airstrip and the Waiyevo Jetty. She navigated the dusty, potholed island roads to sell her legendary cookies, white chocolate slices, and “mean” homemade Kahlua.
She was a woman of immense style and secrets—known to hide a bottle of 20-year-old brandy for her special friends and face down cyclones with a stiff drink and a smile.
“This is My Home”
Through coups and political upheavals, when the US Embassy would call advising her to evacuate, Audrey’s response was always the same: “This is my home.”
She passed away here, in the sanctuary she built from the ground up. Today, we honor her legacy not just by keeping her name on the door, but by keeping her spirit in the walls: unpretentious, resilient, and always ready to welcome you home.
Meet Your Host, Storm.
Bula. Hospitality is in my blood, and Taveuni is in my heart.
My name is Storm Goulding. I have spent my life in the Fijian hotel industry, learning exactly what turns a simple trip into a lifelong memory. But my favorite role is simply being your neighbor.
I live just 100 meters from the villas with my husband and our four beautiful children. This proximity is your secret luxury—I am close enough to ensure everything is perfect, but far enough away to grant you total privacy.
Whether it is sharing produce from our organic garden, arranging a private dive charter, or simply leaving you to enjoy the silence, my family is honored to continue Audrey’s legacy.
We can’t wait to welcome you home.