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Best job in the world - Briton wins contest to be island caretaker
Ellen Widdup6 May 2009
A British man has won what was advertised as "the best job in the world".
Ben Southall, has been named caretaker of the islands of the Great Barrier Reef after beating 34,000 applicants to the role.
Under the £70,000 contract, the 34-year-old from Petersfield, Hampshire, will swim, snorkel, dive and sail while living rent-free in a £2million villa on Hamilton Island and reporting on island life via a blog and video diary. He will start on 1 July after moving to the island with Canadian girlfriend Bre.
"To go away as island caretaker of the Great Barrier Reef is an extreme honour," he said. "I hope I can sell the place as well as everyone is expecting."
Tourism Queensland created the job to boost travel to Australia. Within days of the adverts appearing, its website crashed as thousands of applicants sent their CVs. Australia's tourism minister Peter Lawlor said Mr Southall was perfect for the job. "His ideas for how he will make the role his own, plus his initiative, impressed the panel," he said.
For the past three years Mr Southall has worked as a project manager for a charity. Previously he was a tour guide in Africa. He also manages a music festival and keeps fit by running marathons and climbing. In his new job he will travel through more than 100 islands off the Queensland coast and join tourists in golf, tennis, diving, walking and sunbathing.
Queensland premier Anna Bligh said the campaign had already generated £54million worth of global publicity for Queensland.
Reader views (7)
Well done to the young fella.
- Stephend, London, England, 07/05/2009 10:31
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Without wishing to sound envious, what a jammy git.
Good on him though.
- Bob, Cheam, 07/05/2009 10:00
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What a fantastic oppotunity...well done Ben..have a wonderful year.
- Alan, East London, 07/05/2009 09:39
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Good luck to him and well done for getting out of this shed of a country to somewhere so beautiful.
- Real, London, 07/05/2009 09:23
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how i wish i were him 
be her girl friend also not bad, ha ha ha
- Cynthiakean, malaysia, 07/05/2009 04:07
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The best thing about the job, it gets you out of the UK.
- Dom, London, 06/05/2009 17:33
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Good for him.
- Frank, Home Counties, England., 06/05/2009 13:43
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