Best Job in the World!

[Ninong]

Live on the GBR for Six Months, Get Paid $105,000...

An Australian state is offering internationally what it calls "the best job in the world" -- earning a top salary for lazing around a beautiful tropical island for six months.

The job pays 150,000 Australian dollars (105,000 US dollars) and includes free airfares from the winner's home country to Hamilton Island on the Great Barrier Reef, Queensland's state government announced on Tuesday.

In return, the "island caretaker" will be expected to stroll the white sands, snorkel the reef, take care of "a few minor tasks" -- and report to a global audience via weekly blogs, photo diaries and video updates.

The successful applicant, who will stay rent-free in a three-bedroom beach home complete with plunge pool and golf buggy, must be a good swimmer, excellent communicator and be able to speak and write English.

"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," said acting state Premier Paul Lucas.

"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."

Here.

[mr9iron]

Sign me up now!

[Lucid]

I wonder what "a few minor tasks" means... either way I'm signing up!

[Ramer]

Sure would be the Job of a lifetime. I wonder who I could get to work on the farm for me while I was working on the Island?? No irrigation to worry about, harvest, hmm. It would be like a paid vacation, never had one of those and got to leave the state on Montana, Let alone the country. I think I could learn to snorkel. I may have to practice in my 90

[zhenya]

Sure would be the Job of a lifetime. I wonder who I could get to work on the farm for me while I was working on the Island?? No irrigation to worry about, harvest, hmm. It would be like a paid vacation, never had one of those and got to leave the state on Montana, Let alone the country. I think I could learn to snorkel. I may have to practice in my 90

You can always practice in Charlie;s 300, too...

[Ninong]

Job description, including instructions on how to apply, can be found on their official website.

Hurry, applications must be received by Feb. 22, 2009. Too bad I'm not forty or fifty years younger. ;;

The shack you will be forced to live in for six months:

What a miserable view! Not a single high-rise building in sight. And no rush-hour traffic to make life interesting.

Living and dining area. Note flat-panel TV.

The TV looks entirely too small. That would probably be a killer right there. I wonder if it gets the Superbowl? Oh, right, the job starts July 1st -- wintertime down under. What if it snows? What are the chances it will snow? That would be another killer. Can't take too much snow. Had enough of that last month to last another 20 years.

Kitchen area.

I wonder if that refrigerator is big enough? Probably not.

All in all, it looks like a miserable place to have to spend six months. Besides that miserable place, they will force you to "travel to other islands and enjoy activities such as sailing, kayaking, snorkelling, diving, picnics, bushwalking and more." No doubt they will have a documentary film crew on hand to record every miserable moment.

Not only that, they expect you to waste a good three or four hours a week on the internet chatting about reef life. Who would want to do that?



P.S. -- Click on "About the Job" and then "Latest Applicants." Apparently "Kim" believes that Hugh Hefner is on the selection committee. Not only that, she cheated and applied more than once. Or maybe they just like putting her pic in there every two or three pages? And what's with the dude from Queensland applying? No way he will get the job. They want somebody foreign, not somebody who already lives there.

If you're married and your wife can't/won't go with you, just select from the list of rejected applicants and start contacting them. You're allowed to bring a guest(s) (within limits) provided they pay their own airfare. "Kim" is available -- she probably expects you to pay her airfare. That's assuming she's out of the hospital by then. Looks like she's turning blue posing in the snow in that skimpy bikini.

[Lucid]

lol @ kim. ya well you know...
I need to apply, but couldn't get past the flash stuff yet (too lazy to allow my puter to download for a few hours). Guest eh? That could be fun...

[Ninong]

Okay, if you didn't get to watch Kim's video clip, here's what she said. She said she's a 22-year-old college student in Toronto. She lives a healthy lifestyle. (You wouldn't know it with her standing outdoors in the snow in a bikini with a temperature of -14.)

She loves to bunjee-jump and sky-dive, and she loves to push her limits, and that somehow qualifies her for the other kind of diving. She loves Australia and Australians because she was an exchange student in Western Australia and she can't wait to get back to express her love for Australians. About five or six times during her 60-second video clip, Kim bends forward from the waist to make sure you notice her ample "attributes."

She's fun-loving, athletic and loves adventure.

[Lucid]

I'll die if she gets it. It'll just prove that boobies make the world go round. Oh yeah, just saw on some TV show, that Australia is the only country that PAYS for their women's boob jobs in the military. Give 'em confidence... that is one heck of a signup bonus!

[Ninong]

Applicant Mitchell from New York City is over-qualified. He's already working in television and photography and he was scuba-certified in Cannes two years ago. He would look 'too professional.' They want somebody more 'amateurish.'

Notice that Mitch does the obligatory shot outdoors in the snow but he doesn't waste his entire 60-seconds outside. And he's wearing cutoffs, not a Speedo. I think "Kim" started a trend.

[Ninong]

Two for the price of one: Applicant(s) Adam & Alice from the U.K. would love to go back to the GBR because "the weather is freezing here." Alice is doing her best Kim immitation, except Alice is wearing a flimsy see-through top with a push-up bra beneath to display her attributes to best advantage.

[Ninong]

This one's funny: Applicant Andrew from the Western Cape, South Africa, does the entire segment in an over-the-top Australian accent to prove that he already speaks Australian. I don't think Andy will be chosen.

[Ninong]

Sort of related:

Did you know that the feds will pay you 25% more than your base salary if you want to live and work in Hawaii. Yes, Hawaii. It's a hardship post. So they raise your salary 25%. And then there's the U.S. Virgin Islands, always an awful place to visit, unless you're on your honeymoon and like idyllic beaches and sun and sea - you get a 23% cost of living adjustment for living there.

[Rubisco]

This one's funny: Applicant Andrew from the Western Cape, South Africa, does the entire segment in an over-the-top Australian accent to prove that he already speaks Australian. I don't think Andy will be chosen.

Its funny you say this, that IS the South African accent.
Ive worked with many South Africans here in Minnesota, and thats exactly how I would describe their accent.

Matt

[Ninong]

I've worked with one white South African and his accent was nothing like Andrew's in that video clip. I think a lot depends on whether their ancestry is Dutch or English.

Andrew is attempting to mimic the typical Australian accent and he hits a lot of typical Australian notes. I've worked with five or six Australians.

[Rubisco]

While working for a local Wholesaler/Independent Garden center here, I had the opportunity to work with roughly 15 or so South Africans for several years. I see what your saying about the typical Aussie notes hes clearly working in that video, however I would say that in my experience the two accents are nearly, and I stress nearly, indistinguishable.
I should also clarify that all of the South Africans Ive worked with come from the opposite side of the country in Pietermaritzberg.

Matt

[Ninong]

The only South African I worked with (in California) came from Johannesburg. His family had lived there for more than 100 years but their ancestors were English. This guy told customers he was from London. He lived in London for a year before moving to California. He didn't want to admit that he was from Johannesburg because this was back during the time when Nelson Mandela was still in prison and he was tired of people bringing up the apartheid problem as soon as they learned he was from South Africa. At least that's what he told us. That's certainly understandable, especially when he was talking to African-American customers.

[Ninong]

And the winner is:

Here.

[pinkmonkey]

I think I heard about this too late! That is one lucky man.. Is he still on the island now?

[Ninong]

According to that article, he was scheduled to begin "work" on July 1, 2009 and, since it's a six-month gig, he would be still on the island right now.