The best job in the world

If you feel like you are spending far too much time staring at a computer screen all day, why not get away from it all and apply for the ultimate dream job - earning a top salary for lazing around on a beautiful tropical island in Queensland, Australia...

A dream job is that elusive piece of the jigsaw that many spend years searching for and few actually find.

But, just when you had given up all hope, along one comes. Tourism Queensland has launched a worldwide search for candidates for ‘the best job ever.'

Located on the bounty-bar esque Hamilton Island in the heart of the Whitsundays and Great Barrier Reef, the job entails being a caretaker of the island for six months - strolling along the beaches, swimming with turtles, snorkeling and writing blogs to update a (jealous) audience on your progress.

The only items on the job description that sound remotely like anything approaching work is ‘possible pool cleaning' and ‘talking to media from time to time about what you are doing.'

Doesn't sound too onerous to me.

Not only will you be stranded on this paradise island, replete with coral gardens and golden beaches, you will even be paid for the privilege.

And the pay is not bad either. The chosen one will receive a salary of £68,800 plus free airfares from their home country to Hamilton Island.

As if that wasn't enough, free accommodation is thrown in too, in the form of a multi-million-pound three-bedroom beach home complete with plunge pool and golf buggy.

Anyone over the age of 18 can apply and the only criteria is that they must be an ‘excellent communicator and be able to speak and write in English and be a strong swimmer.'

Acting Queensland State Premier Paul Lucas said, "They'll also have to talk to media from time to time about what they're doing, so they can't be too shy, and they'll have to love the sea, the sun, the outdoors.

"The fact that they will be paid to explore the islands of the Great Barrier Reef, swim, snorkel and generally live the Queensland lifestyle makes this undoubtedly the best job in the world," added Mr Lucas.

The island caretaker position was created as part of a three-year £785,000 marketing strategy by Tourism Queensland.

Back to reality

You may think it sounds too good to be true and when I heard the words ‘reality TV show' I instantly thought that was the catch.

However, says Tourism Queensland Chief Executive Anthony Hayes, "While the campaign has elements of some reality television shows, a candidate's looks will not be a prime requirement.

"No, I don't think beautiful is what we want, I think charismatic is what we want. The reality is we are looking for a fantastic communicator.

"What we want this person to do is travel throughout the Great Barrier Reef and try every experience, every adventure they can find and report back via blogs and video to tell the world why Queensland is a great place to come for a holiday.

"The job is not just a publicity stunt.

"Yes this is part of a unique Tourism Queensland strategy to promote the islands of the Great Barrier Reef internationally, but candidates will have to go through a genuine recruitment process," added Mr Hayes.

The campaign was launched overseas today and a domestic launch will follow this weekend, but Australian Marketing Institute President Roger James said that it was likely an overseas applicant would be picked.

Applications are open until February 22nd. Eleven shortlisted candidates will be flown to Hamilton Island in early May for the final selection process and the six month contract will commence on July 1st.

However, competition for the dream job promises to be tough, with more than 200,000 prospective applicants for the position visiting the www.islandreefjob.com website in the first 24 hours after news of the position was released.

About 200 people have created video applications so far, among them an Olympic equestrian gold medallist from Switzerland and a teenager from the UK who is tired of the dreary weather.

The bulk of applications have come from the UK (surprise, surprise) with the United States and Italy coming in close behind. Australians are currently ranked fourth.

Interest in the job has been so intense that the website advertising the position crashed several times this morning.

As word spread and traffic increased throughout the day, the website went ‘up and down like a yo-yo' and struggled to cope with the estimated 40 hits per second, a Tourism Queensland spokesman said.

Visit www.islandreefjob.com for more information.

Picture by PhillipC