hips don't lie: Tourism Australia"s "Best Job in the World" competition offers six dream roles

By

Helen Nicholson

PUBLISHED:

09:34 EST, 4 March 2013

|

UPDATED:

11:02 EST, 4 March 2013

If you’re a jaded employee suffering from the Monday blues you may be considering dusting off your CV but how do you fancy applying for the position of a park ranger, outback adventurer or even ‘chief funster’?

These are some of the roles on offer as part of Tourism Australia’s ‘Best Job in the World’ competition, with each position offering the successful applicant a six-month contract in the sun and a $100,000

(£67,380) salary package.

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Out of the blue: You’ll get to swim with sea lions in the role of ‘wildlife caretaker’ on Kangaroo Island

The competition is being revived following the success of Tourism Australia’s campaign to find a ‘caretaker’ of

Hamilton Island on the Great Barrier Reef in 2009.

Briton Ben Southall beat over 34,000

applicants from over 200 countries to win the dream job, which required him ‘to explore the islands of the Great Barrier Reef, swim,

snorkel, make friends with the locals and generally enjoy the tropical

Queensland climate and lifestyle’.

But this time, there are not one but six dream jobs on offer, including an outback adventurer in the Northern Territory; a park ranger in Queensland; a wildlife caretaker in South Australia; a ‘lifestyle photographer’ in Melbourne; a ‘taste master’ in Western Australia; and

‘chief funster’ in New South Wales.

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Rock star: Duties for outback adventurers include ‘ga ing upon breathtaking sunsets at Uluru’

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The job title of ‘outback adventurer’ is suitably vague but the role is accompanied by a long list of duties including getting ‘up close and

personal’ with the wildlife, sleeping under the stars in a bush camp and soaring

across ‘postcard-worthy’ landscapes in a hot air balloon.

The successful applicant will also be expected to immerse themself in the indigenous culture, taste traditional bushfoods and ‘ga e upon

breathtaking sunsets at Uluru’.

Park ranger duties include protecting and promoting Queensland’s native plants and

animals, along with patrolling the beaches and ‘checking the water temperature’.

Applicants are required to have an ‘adventurous spirit, a

connection with nature and a love of the outdoors’ and are asked to

‘leave only footprints’.

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Island adventure: Park ranger duties in Queensland include protecting and promoting the state’s native plants and animals and patrolling the beaches of Li ard Island

As ‘wildlife caretaker’ on Kangaroo Island you’ll help to look after the eponymous kangaroos, swim with dolphins and sea lions, and even come face-to-face with great white sharks.

You’ll also get the chance to explore your surroundings by ‘foot, kayak, bicycle, and boat’, talk to wallabies, cuddle koalas and sunbathe with seals on the

pristine beach at Seal Bay.

Meanwhile, those with a talent for photography and writing features can apply for the position of lifestyle photojournalist for Time Out Melbourne.

You’ll be required to photograph the city’s cafes and bars as well major festivals, music events and tourist activities a little further afield, including surfing on the Great Ocean Road, skiing at Mount Hotham or meeting penguins at Phillip Island.

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Snap happy: Those with a talent for photography can apply for a job as a photojournalist in Melbourne

If food is your passion you can apply for the role of ‘taste master’ in Western Australia, where you’ll be required to ‘eat your way around the state’, touring the best restaurants, pubs, wineries and breweries and mastering the art of wine and beer making.

There’s even a position entitled

‘chief funster’ in New South Wales, where you’ll live like a VIP in

Sydney, reviewing festivals and events.

The lucky applicant will travel the

state as a social media commentator, appearing at all the major

tourism launches, PR events and industry functions.

They’ll also get to work behind the scenes of the Sydney

Festival, Mardi Gras and Vivid Festival, and the spectacular New Year’s

Eve fireworks on Sydney Harbour.

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A vine romance: The role of ‘taste master’ in Western Australia will involve mastering the art of wine making

Applications for the competition open today and candidates can complete an online application form at www.facebook.com/australianworkingholiday or www.australia.com/bestjobs. You’ll also be asked to submit a 30-second video explaining why you’re the right candidate for the role.

The closing date is April 10 and the successful applicants will be expected to take up their positions on August 1 2013, sharing their experiences with regular blogs and social media updates.

Tourism Australia said the initiative was part of a campaign to promote Australia’s 12-month Working Holiday Maker visa programmes for 18 to 30 year olds.

Tourism Australia Managing Director

Andrew McEvoy said: ‘We’ve taken one of the most successful tourism

campaigns in recent times – ‘Best Job in the World’ – and made it bigger

and better by coming up with a competition which represents our

breathtaking landscapes, our unique wildlife, great food and wine and,

of course, our huge sense of fun.’

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Light fantastic: The ‘chief funster’ in New South Wales will get to work behind the scenes of the spectacular New Year’s Eve fireworks on Sydney Harbour

After winning Tourism Australia’s competition in 2009, Mr Southall stayed in five-star resorts and enjoyed jet skiing and diving on Australia’s stunning Hamilton Island.

He even managed to squee e

in a six-part show for National Geographic, where he retraced the route

taken by James Cook more than 240 years ago.

Calling it ‘the best expedition in

the world’, he spent four months kayaking, cycling and sailing 1,600km

along the length of the Great Barrier Reef.

But Mr Southall said that he found the ‘dream job’ exhausting due to the combination of long hours and a strong work ethic.

‘It should have been called, “the busiest job in the world”,’ he joked.

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Life’s a beach: Briton Ben Southall – who won Tourism Australia’s competition in 2009 – appears in a video to promote this year’s six dream jobs

He also had a brush with death soon after he started the role after he was stung by a poisonous jellyfish during a post-Christmas jet ski session.

The incident did not deter him, however, and he excelled at his job – so much so that his job title was changed to ‘tourism ambassador’.

This extended his remit to promote not just the reef but the whole of Queensland – including the outback, the rainforest and Gold Coast.

‘The job has allowed me to have adventures and keep exploring, write about it and learn new skills like filming, editing, presenting, public speaking and TV work,’ he said.