Wanted:
One "island caretaker", must be able to swim and willing to move to Hamilton Island in Australia's tropical Whitsundays to begin 1 July. Flexible hours, six-month salary of $150,000 (£75,000), non-negotiable.
Caretaking duties do not, island bosses insist, extend to litter-picking and sieving leaves and other detritus from the pool. Instead, the eventual incumbent will be paid to explore the crannies – both on land and underwater – of the Great Barrier Reef's 600 islands, reporting back through a fortnightly internet diary with photos and video.The successful applicant will also pick up the keys to a rent-free A$5m villa perched 80 metres up a ravine, overlooking the narrow azure channel where humpback whales migrate in September. Two guest bedrooms and a spa pool deck with similarly spectacular views will no doubt be handy for entertaining overseas visitors or tourists befriended over cocktails at the marina bar. The distractions include the cacophony of cockatoos outside in the pine trees and the hum of the beer fridge.
A Bond villain-esque golf buggy sits idle in the drive, awaiting the arrival of its new owner, who must also become accustomed to travel by powerboat, jet-ski and yacht. Just around the corner, Whitehaven Beach is regularly voted among the top 10 in the world for its 98 per cent pure silica sand.
Candidates have until 22 February to apply at islandreefjob.com, submitting a 60-second (or less) video clip explaining why they should get the job. They must speak English and have "excellent communication skills", a "desire for adventure" and "passion for the outdoors". There is talk of a cut-off point at 30,000 applications – meaning the recruitment consultants will have to watch 500 hours of video clips. Ten shortlisted candidates plus one wildcard, voted for online by the public, will then be invited to a four-day interview, starting on 3 May, on islands dotted along the Great Barrier Reef. They will have to sail, dive, snorkel and generally cuddle up to the local fauna in a series of daunting tasks
[via: http://www.independent.co.uk]
