Help Art Predator Land the Best Job in the World–in AUSTRALIA!

My Australian friend, confidant, fellow blogger and poet Paul Squires of GingaTao.com emailed me to say:

Here is the perfect job and coincidentally the perfect job for you. It’s a job for a blogger who loves the outdoors. It’s yours for the taking. Apply! It’s the greatest job in the history of jobs ever.
http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/afp/090113/oddities/lifestyle_australia_tourism_offbeat_1

Curious, of course, the link led me to the following story:

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.”

Lucas said the campaign was part of a drive to protect the state’s 18 billion Australian dollar a year tourism industry during the tough economic climate caused by the global financial meltdown.

“Traditional tourism advertising just doesn’t cut it sometimes and we are thinking outside the box by launching this campaign.”

Queensland Tourism Minister Desley Boyle said some people might question whether it was risky to let an unknown person become an unofficial tourism spokesperson for the state.

“I think the biggest risk will be that the successful candidate won’t want to go home at the end of the six months,” she said.

“This is a legitimate job which is open to anyone and everyone.”

Applications are open until February 22. 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 1.

Sounds great doesn’t it? So then I went to Islandreefjob.com, a site so popular it keeps crashing. But I persevered and this is what I learned:

Want the best job in the world? If you enjoy new experiences and you can spare six months to enjoy life above the Great Barrier Reef, you’re already in with a good chance. It’s easy to apply.

Step 1: Create a video application (in English and in 60 seconds or less)

In an entertaining and engaging way, tell us why you’re the best person for the job and demonstrate your knowledge of the Islands of the Great Barrier Reef.

Step 2: Fill out a brief application form and upload your video

Tourism Queensland will create a short list of 50 candidates who will submit a short personal profile, to help us narrow the candidates for the interview stage.

Eleven candidates will be invited to the Islands of the Great Barrier Reef for an interview from 3 to 7 May 2009. So, if you want the best job in the world, make sure you’re available to travel to Queensland for the interviews. You’ll also need to be available to start work on the 1st July 2009.

So how can you help me get the best job in the world?

Tourism Queensland will select ten candidates and one Wild Card candidate will be selected by the world – so make sure you encourage all your friends and family to vote.

If the site is up and running, it shows the latest applicants and how many views each have had (bikini babes of course have the highest…)