Star
Lifestyle
Saturday January 17, 2009
By ERIK FEARN
2,900 coral reefs, 600 islands, 28°C and one job. Had a soul-crushing week at the office? Have you had enough of your bubble-wrapped life and want to break free and try something new? Want to transform your life from blasè into a blast?
A dining and relaxation destination.
Well then, I’ve got news for you: Tourism Queensland is offering what they are calling “The best job in the world”. They are looking for an “island caretaker” to live among the islands of the Great Barrier Reef for six months.
The suitable applicant will get to sail and scuba dive around these gorgeous tropical islands, testing all the spas, restaurants, world-class resorts and basically have the time of his/her life.
Oh, and did I mention that they will pay nearly half a million RM? Don’t worry, the working hours are flexible!
The living Eden
Few natural wonders command such attention as the Great Barrier Reef, the world’s greatest coral reef system.
Lying just off the east coast of the Australian mainland, this complex of coral reefs and islands stretches further than the imagination can see — about 2,600km. This is a spectacle of nature so vast that it can be seen from the moon! This place is immense in a head-hurts-thinking-about-it way.
So much for the facts. Yet on closer inspection, this natural wonder gets even more interesting. What makes the reef so great is not just what’s beneath the surface but also what’s above it: the Islands of the Great Barrier Reef.
Catch a sunrise at Mt Oldfield (a view east to Maher and Shaw Islands, Lindeman Island).
Splashed all along the Barrier Reef are dollops of tropical islands known as the Whitsundays.
The islands are Australia’s crown jewels, and a star attraction for local and international visitors alike. With a choice of accommodation and activities for all tastes ranging from remote and secluded luxury lodges through to family-oriented resorts.
Time spent on a Great Barrier Reef Island is time out in one of the most beautiful places on Earth. Out here, you can literally immerse yourself in one of the seven natural wonders of the world. And to think that you’re just a short two-hour flight away from Brisbane, Queensland’s capital.
Out here amongst the islands, you can choose how you connect with the reef. You can dive into it, snorkel through it, sail it, fish it and feel it. You can swim with turtles or watch the whales play. Or do nothing.
The unofficial law of island life in the Great Barrier Reef is simply this: eat, drink and be merry; relax, rest and play. Then do it all again. It’s a law that has made swank Hayman Island and Hamilton Island resorts a favourite among the glitterati, including the likes of Jennifer Aniston, Cameron Diaz, Salma Hayek and Catherine Zeta-Jones. (If you’re OK mixing with Hollywood celebs, this job might be for you. At least think about it).
Under it, on it, in it, above it — there are so many ways to experience this place and the pure, clear waters surrounding it. This, plus the luxurious resorts and many activities available goes a long way towards explaining why the Great Barrier Reef is top of many people’s “To Do” list. It is, after all, one of the world’s seven natural wonders, and the only one that’s alive.
Aquaholics
Be prepared to share the beach with wildlife.
If fate were to deal you the dilemma of having to choose a single underwater dive for the rest of your life, that would have to be the Ribbon Reefs. This nook of the sprawling Barrier Reef is scuba’s Garden of Eden.
Every year, legions of divers journey across the world to commune with an aquatic menagerie of 1,500 species of reef fish and 700 corals, and this paradise remains undiminished by discovery.
Reef sharks prowl, manta rays take wing, huge schools of snappers and barracudas sweep by you on the currents. Follow them into a liquid wilderness filled with hordes of vibrantly coloured fish.
Extreme or serene
Not into diving? Adrenaline junkies can choose from a complete catalogue of aquatic activities, ranging from jet skiing, parasailing and waterskiing to sailing, windsurfing and game fishing.
Those who prefer to keep their feet planted on terra firma also have access to a huge array of leisure pursuits: go bushwalking or beachcombing, play tennis or golf, join a cruise or just relax beside a resort pool, drink in hand, mind in limbo. Or crank up the pace if you feel the need for speed by jumping on a jet ski and making up your own island tour.
But for the ultimate encounter with Big Nature, absolutely nothing beats the serenity of watching giant yet graceful Humpbacks on a whale-watching cruise.
The “Best Job in the World” job description and application procedure:
Job: Island caretaker
Job description: Explore the Great Barrier Reef Islands, interact with locals, tourists and the environment. File reports in a weekly blog, providing photo and video updates. Do media interviews. Eat. Drink. Sleep. Relax.
Salary: A$150,000 for a six-month contract.
The qualified applicant will have an apartment on Hamilton Island with access to digital cameras, video and a computer.
How to apply:
Step 1: Create a video application (in English and in 60 seconds or less) telling Tourism Queensland why you are uniquely qualified for the job.
Step 2: Fill out a brief application form and upload your video to www.islandreefjob.com. Applications close Feb 22, 2009.
About the application process: Eleven short-listed candidates from all around the world will be invited to the islands of the Great Barrier Reef for an interview at the beginning of May. The winning candidate will start work on July 1, 2009.
Anchors a-weigh!
Given its status as an aquatic playground par excellence, the Great Barrier Reef is the place for the ultimate in cruising experiences.
From Hayman and Hamilton islands, you can charter a luxury yacht and head off with a professional skipper for a day of gourmet food, sunbathing on the deck, dropping anchor at secluded coves and diving into waters filled with a dazzling array of brilliant fish and corals. Bliss. Pass the champagne, dah-ling.
So if you don’t mind five-star pampering, meeting lots of great people, exploring the best that nature has to offer, get to try out a variety of spas, learn how to scuba dive and sail, and stay and eat in world-class resorts, and get paid A$150,000 (RM360,000) for your time, then yes, this job might be right for you.
My advice? Plan it. Do it. Live it. Just know this: Finding heaven is not so difficult, but leaving it is nearly impossible.
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