Best Job candidates visit Tropical North Queensland
Posted by editor (editor) on May 07 2009
2009 >>

Three of the final 16 candidates for Tourism Queensland's Best Job in the World recruitment campaign will tour Tropical North Queensland over the next few days, Tourism Minister Peter Lawlor announced today.

“Anjaan Ganesh from India will visit Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park, Hartley’s Crocodile Adventures, Mossman Gorge National Park, Lizard Island and Cairns.

“Anjaan will also participate in a range of activities such as snorkelling or diving on the outer Great Barrier Reef, sailing, fishing, paddle skiing, bike riding, bush walking and relaxing spa treatments.

“Hailey Turner from Brisbane and Ben Henry from France will take a different tour of the Tropical North, including visits to Paronella Park, Mission Beach, the Tully River, Paluma Ranges, Magnetic Island and Townsville.

“They will go horse riding, white water rafting, blo-karting, jet skiing, swimming in waterfalls and freshwater water holes, bushwalking and have the opportunity to barrack for the local rugby league team, the North Queensland Cowboys, at a match on Saturday night.

“The finalists will also stay overnight in a variety of hotels and resorts throughout the regions, experiencing the breadth and quality of local accommodation options.

“The tour was organised in partnership between Tourism Queensland, Tourism Tropical North Queensland, Townsville Enterprises and local operators.”

Mr Lawlor said the three finalists had had a challenging few weeks, culminating in an intensive three-day interview process at Hamilton Island and narrowly missing out on the island caretaker position, which yesterday went to Ben Southall from Britain.

“These candidates absolutely wowed us and have ensured Queensland was at the forefront of media in their respective countries during the campaign, all while holding down full-time jobs and family commitments,” Mr Lawlor said.

“With more than 34,000 applications, the Caretaker of Islands of the Great Barrier Reef was arguably the most sought-after job in the world.

"The worldwide response to Best Job in the World campaign was nothing short of phenomenal and achieved more than $100 million worth of global publicity for Queensland.

“International tourism is a key economic driver for Queensland and during challenging economic times, activities such as the Best Job in the World campaign are crucial to increase the visibility and presence of Queensland destinations and products in international markets.

“We are committed to generating interest from international markets and will do everything possible to maximise the benefits for Queensland.”

Further information
Media enquiries
Minister’s Office – 07 3225 1005
Tourism Queensland – 07 3535 5588

Last changed: Oct 06 2009 at 2:27 PM