It's been billed as the 'Best Job in the World' and from July 1 it will belong to a bungee jumping, ostrich-riding British charity worker.
Ben Southall, 34, beat out nearly 35,000 applicants from around the world for the dream assignment to swim, explore and relax on Hamilton Island in the Great Barrier Reef for six months while writing a blog to promote the area.
He was selected by Tourism Queensland officials, who said they were impressed with Southall's proactive approach to campaigning for the role, which included securing an extensive amount of media coverage.
The job comes with a A$150,000 ($191,000) pay packet and is part of a A$1.7m tourism campaign to publicise the charms of northeastern Queensland.
The 16 finalists, one of whom was New Zealand radio host and television presenter Clarke Gayford, arrived in Australia last weekend for a final round of interviews ahead of today's announcement.
In his application video, Southall expressed a love for adventure, and featured photographs of himself riding an ostrich, running a marathon, trekking through Africa and kissing a giraffe.
He will live for free in an airy, three-bedroom oceanfront villa with a private pool and sweeping views of the surrounding islands.
Watch Ben Southall's application video:
- NZ HERALD STAFF, AP
