Remember when the internets had a seizure over the “Best Job in the World?” Now, that story has an ending.
Ben Southall, an intrepid Englishman with a taste for adventure (and seawater) has beaten out 34,000 other applicants to win the coveted title of Caretaker of a tropical island. The island, located in Queensland, Australia, has a front row seat to the Great Barrier Reef, which Southall will report on via blog during his six month appointment. Other responsibilities include cleaning the pool, feeding the animals, frolicking in the island’s lush meadows, and skipping stones while taking long, moonlit walks on the beach.
Applicants pulled various stunts, including singing their applications and nearly freezing to death, to win over what is either the hardest working HR department in the world, or a room full of reality TV executives. Perks of the position include free airfare to the nearest city, trips to other islands, and tons of computer and camera gear. Southall has everything he needs to make him happy; he’s in paradise and is surrounded by countless toys. Now all he has to overcome is the crushing loneliness such a job entails. Oh, and ‘The Serpent.’
Buddy Up