Minder Wanted For Island Paradise

[luke]

Minder Wanted For Island Paradise



Australia is advertising the perfect job for someone who wants to take a break from the credit crunch - a six-month sabbatical on a tropical island.

And best of all, says the Queensland Tourist Board, there is absolutely no catch.

The authorities are looking for a caretaker for Hamilton Island, which has year-round sunshine, sandy beaches, warm lagoons and sea life galore.

Free return flights, transfers, expenses and transport are included in the deal, not to mention pay of just under £6,000 a month.

The lucky person who lands the job will also stay in a three-bedroom villa, set on a shady hill overlooking the sea.

Their 'chores' will include feeding turtles, watching whales and collecting the post.

He or she will not need qualifications. although they will have to be a good swimmer, and enjoy snorkelling and scuba diving.

Computer skills would be handy too - a weekly online blog, photo diary and video updates are also part of the job description.

The boss of Queensland Tourism, Anthony Hayes, says the idea behind the offer is to promote the island globally.

"This campaign aims to highlight the islands of the Great Barrier Reef and showcase Australia's unique island experience to the global market," he said.

The last date for applying is February 22. Eleven potential candidates will be picked and flown out for interviews, with the final choice being made on May 6.

Helen McNaught from Tourism Queensland told Sky News online there has been no shortage of interest.

"The successful applicant will need to be keen on the water and all water sports activities... and, most important of all, they'll need a zest for life." she said.

[faceless]

It all sounds great - but what's the betting there's some ancient ghosts who will torment the caretaker like in The Shining?

[Twirley]

OMG - I went to this island last year. It is beautiful and well-kept. It is a perfect base for visiting the Great Barrier Reef and surrounding islands. The first hotel tower in the pic is where we stayed AND we had an ocean view. It was wonderful. Wish I was a better swimmer!

[faceless]

Russian woman dropped from dream job over porno past
19/ 03/ 2009

MOSCOW, March 19 (RIA Novosti) - A Russian woman has been scratched from the list of applicants for the "best job in the world" based on the tropical island of Hamilton after she allegedly appeared in an "inappropriate video," the project's website reported on Thursday.

Julia Yalovitsyna, from the northern Russian Republic of Karelia, was earlier one of the frontrunners for the cushy job as caretaker on Hamilton Island in the Great Barrier Reef which comes with a salary of $96,000 for six months. The caretaker's responsibilities include writing a weekly blog, a video and photo diary, as well as feeding the fish and turtles and collecting mail.

The general director of Tourism Queensland, Anthony Hayes, was cited by The Brisbane Times as saying "Today we have been made aware of an inappropriate video of Julia posted on a public website," and he added, "Tourism Queensland has decided to exclude Julia from the selection process under the terms and conditions of the job."

Earlier media reports said that Yalovitsyna, 29, worked in the porno business and had participated in "adult" films. Hayes also said Julia's husband had been implicated in a criminal case involving the distribution of pornographic material over the Internet. Yalovitsyna has denied any involvement in the case and Hayes stressed "our investigations have not found any evidence to the contrary."

Tourism Queensland announced the competition, which drew 34,684 applications from more than 200 countries, in January 2009. On March 3, the company announced a short list of 50 applicants, of which 10 will be selected by company managers and an eleventh wild card entry is to be chosen in an online vote. The 11 final candidates will later fly to Hamilton Island for the final selection process, which is due to be completed on May 6. The winner is due to start work on July 1.

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tut tut!

[eefanincan]

The weather girl from our local tv station is one of the top 50 finalists... she's annoying as hell doing the news, so I'm all for sending her to Australia

Melissa Schenk