*Choose us for the best job in the world* By Stefanos Evripidou Who better to spend six months taking care of an island than an adventurous couple with two feisty girls? And they’re looking for your vote
IMAGINE IF you will a beautiful island with crystal blue waters and miles of golden coastline. Imagine the island boasts over 1,500 species of fish and sits somewhere along the 2,600 kilometres of coral reef, otherwise known as the Great Barrier Reef. Imagine the island has a population of just over 1,000, with no cars, and so, no road accidents or speed cameras. The primary form of transport is the ubiquitous golf buggy, so no racing either. Now imagine being offered a job to work on this island as a caretaker. Duties? Live rent-free in a three-bedroom luxury villa with plunge-pool; feed a few fish; deliver the mail via air, getting a bird’s eye view of the Reef; enjoy the island’s facilities, including snorkelling, sailing and diving; explore the nearby islands, and once a week, upload a video blog to keep the world updated on the tough job at hand. Working schedule: 12 hours a month. Salary: €76,000 for six months “work”. I know what you’re thinking: what’s the catch? Well, simply put, there is none. It’s no wonder they are calling this the Best Job in the World. In one of the smartest promotional campaigns this century, Tourism Queensland has got the whole world asking two questions: Where is Hamilton Island? And how can I get this job? Tourism Queensland is responsible for promoting the islands around the Great Barrier Reef, off the northeastern coast of Australia. And they’re doing a really good job. Since the Best Job in the World was advertised on January 9, the news has travelled around the world, with 19,000 applications from 200 countries already submitted. The website, www.islandreefjob.com, crashed after only two days online due to the load of submissions. And all this on a budget that pales in comparison to our own national tourism promoter. The procedure for applying is pretty simple. Upload a 60-second video clip explaining why you are the best for the job. That’s it. Of course, what one should do in those 60 seconds is open to interpretation. One man in Florida was arrested for disorderly conduct after jumping off a bridge to impress the recruiters. Now, before you go streaking across the Nicosia-Limassol highway, showcasing your sense of adventure in a one-minute wonder, you should know that the deadline for applications was today. So, you might’ve missed the chance to be the most highly paid caretaker in the world, but there is one family in Cyprus still in with a pop. The McDonalds, and they’re looking for your help to get them on that reef. Shane McDonald, 48, originally from Albury Wadonga (if you haven’t already guessed, that’s Australia) has been living in Cyprus with his family for the last five years. His work has taken him to 80 countries in 20 years, covering issues for the media, ranging from the most gruesome to the most bizarre. His office is lined with memorabilia that would have International Relations experts wetting themselves. In the corner of the room, a Soviet Union officer’s hat hangs sternly on the stand, next to the helmet of a fighter jet pilot from a few decades past. “I’ve done everything except space travel,” says the self-confessed adventurer. And in typical Ozzie fashion, that includes swimming with sharks. “It’s time to end some of that chaos and go home for a while,” he adds. And what better way to see the old country than to take your family on a six-month slog through the islands of the Great Barrier Reef, incredibly generous salary included. Shane cites two very good reasons why Tourism Queensland might choose him over the other 18,999 applicants. “My two little girls, Alexia and Olivia. They love adventure, travelling, snorkelling, waterskiing, parasailing, the lot. They love film-making too. We did a great travel doc of a family trip to Rome recently and they loved it. They could really show the world what that island has to offer. They’d be great.” His nine-year-old, Olivia, agrees. “Most are individual applicants but people seem to be liking the family application more,” she said, showing early signs of marketing prowess. Jill, 41, agrees that a family appeals more to all age groups than a single individual would. And she doesn’t seem to mind the greater interest shown by her kids in Australia than her home county of Yorkshire. “It’s a fantastic opportunity for the family, we have to go for it, they don’t come around very often,” she says. Shane adds: “We’ve taken them to Australia before and they loved it. The days consisted of wandering down to the jetty where the boat comes in, snorkelling with the batfish that come in in the mornings, avoiding the curlews…” Excuse me? “Great big funny birds that wander around,” explains eight-year-old Alexia. Thanks. But what makes you think you can really win? “It would be easy to win because most of the applicants are just people who sit in front of a webcam. Only a few go out and about and put lots of effort in like we did,” replies Olivia, referring to their well produced, funny, one-minute video. Again, displaying that uncanny nose for a good promotion. Her younger sister Alexia puts things more bluntly: “I saw this one guy who entered from Cyprus, but he talked really weirdly. I’m very good at talking.” How did friends react to the idea of the family going to Hamilton Island for six months on the Best Job in the World? Friends of Shane and Jill agreed that it was an amazing opportunity that they just had to go for. One of Alexia’s friends was sad. And as for Olivia’s friends, well… “My friends were sad because they wanted to apply but they don’t think they stand a chance against us, oh, and because they’d miss us.” The job starts in July and ends January 1, 2010, so the kids would only miss one term of school which they could make up for with schooling on the island or Australian mainland. The only things they’ll really miss are their pets, Terry the Tortoise, and Tiger the Tabby Cat. “And pourgouri,” added Alexia, referring to the local bulgar wheat dish. So, now, the family are hoping to be one of the 50 shortlisted candidates that will be announced on March 2. From those 50, Tourism Queensland will choose 10 to go for interviews at Hamilton Island. The public can then vote for their favourite applicant until March 24, which will be the wildcard entry. The winner will be announced on May 6. To see the family’s application go to the competition website and search for Cyprus, or go to www.islandreefjob.com/#/applicants/watch/k6cQeYt5cPU. If they make it to the last 50, they’ll need all the votes they can get to win the people’s choice and move one step closer to the family adventure of a lifetime. And if you’re still not convinced, Alexia has this to say: “Look, it’s the best job in the world and you need to vote for us, please vote for us.” http://www.cyprus-mail.com/news/main.php?id=44170&cat_id=9 --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups ""GLOBAL SPECULATORS"" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/globalspeculators?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
