"The Best Job in the World"

Island Caretaker Great Barrier Reef: that is the prize "job" that 34 year old British citizen, Ben Southall won. The contest, which was part of a marketing campaign by Tourism Queensland, awarded the winner the role of Island Caretaker for six months on luxurious Hamilton Island on the Great Barrier Reef. It's a live-in position with flexible working hours where the main responsibilities would include exploring the islands of the Great Barrier Reef to discover what the area has to offer and then report the findings via weekly blogs, photo diary, video updates and ongoing media interviews.

Mr. Southhall will be paid a salary of AUD $150,00.00 (approximately $111,000.00 USD) for a six-month contract. He will receive roundtrip airfare from his home country (England), accommodation in a three-bedroom villa on Hamilton Island (which he plans on sharing with his Canadian girlfriend) complete with plunge pool, endless ocean views, and a golf cart, a computer with internet access, digital video and still camera access, plus travel to a number of the other Islands of the Great Barrier Reef.

Stretching for 2,600 kilometres, and composed of over 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands, the Great Barrier Reef in Queensland, Australia is the world's largest coral reef system. The World Heritage-listed area supports a diversity of wildlife including whales, dolphins, sea turtles, and more than 1,500 species of fish. The reef is an extremely popular destination for tourists, sustainably managing approximately 2 million visitors each year.

According to the contest description the successful applicant should posses:

- Excellent interpersonal communication skills
- Good written and verbal English skills
- An adventurous attitude
- Willingness to try new things
- A passion for the outdoors
- Good swimming skills and enthusiasm for snorkeling and/or diving
- Ability to engage with others
- At least one year's relevant experience

Apparently 34,0000 individuals thought that they possessed these qualities as that is the number of applications received by Tourism Queensland. The group was narrowed down to 16 finalists who came from 15 different countries. They were flown to Hamilton Island for a final series of tests, including demonstrating their swimming abilities, snorkeling and being pampered at a luxurious island resort.

Ben's 60-second application video showed him riding an ostrich and being kissed by a leopard (in Africa where he is a charity fundraiser), before driving off into the sunset yelling: "If it's the best job in the world then I'm off to the best place in the world". Throughout the selection process, the candidates were expected to demonstrate a "passion" for the job and come up with ideas on how best to promote the Great Barrier Reef and other Queensland attractions.

The job starts on July 1. We'll keep an eye out for Ben's Blog and find out if he truly does believe it is "The Best Job in the World".