Kiwi couple land dream job on heart-shaped island

Makepeace Island in the Noosa River, Noosa, Queensland. Photo / Queensland Tourism

A Kiwi couple has fallen in love with an exclusive heart-shaped island on the Sunshine Coast.

Lyndsay and Paul Jobin have scored the jobs of a lifetime, running Makepeace Island, holiday hotspot for the rich and famous and part-owned by airline mogul Sir Richard Branson.

The pair work at Annandale Lodge, Banks Peninsula, but finish up on Thursday before starting their new roles next month.

"If there was a list of the top five places Paul wanted to live, one of them was Noosa," Mrs Jobin told NZME.

"That was a pretty big one for him."

The heart shape was a drawcard too as was the ease of access, by private boat.

Mrs Jobin is the general manager of Annandale and her husband the executive chef. On Makepeace they will hold the same roles.

They have been in Canterbury for two years, but both call themselves Northlanders, hailing from Kerikeri in the Bay of Islands.

Before their move south they spent four years in Auckland. Mr Jobin was executive chef at SkyCity's restaurants and had been on television.

Mrs Jobin was the food and beverage events sales manager at SkyCity.

Both were keen on Makepeace's link to Sir Richard because they admired his approach to business and his values, such as treating staff well.

The move has come about quickly, after seeing the job advertised, interviews were carried out over Skype and then the offer came in.

The Jobins' contract is for 15 months and then they'll see how it is working out.