14 DAY TRIAL // Shortly after Tourism Queensland announced the caretaker position on Hamilton Island for the staggering salary of A$150,000 (roughly $103,000) per six months' work, the official website of the contest was clogged with hits, and more than 1 million Internet users accessed it in less than three days. This lead to the collapse of the site, which has since been brought back online. Owners have had to upgrade the databases from one to ten servers, capable of holding all the video applications they already received. Tens of thousands of more job applications are accepted by February 22nd, when the deadline expires.
Australian officials say that they are overwhelmed by the prompt response their offer has sparked, but maintain that the job has no catch whatsoever. All that participants will have to do is sail, snorkel, hike and swim for six months on the island. The position requires no formal qualifications, but relevant experience is definitely a plus, the organizers announce, as are excellent communication skills.
The person who will get the job will only have to work on average 12 hours a month. The actual work implies feeding some of the fish species on the island and picking up the mail that will arrive. Other than that, the caretaker will also have to start a blog detailing his or her experience. The blog will have to feature appealing pictures and videos of the activities that can take place on the island. Australian tourism officials say that the main stake of this experiment is to attract as many people as possible to visit the Whitsunday Islands, located on the country's northeastern coasts.
Until this point in time site managers have announced that they've already received some 2,000 video applications from around the world, and that, on January 15th, a team of 10 began looking over them. They expect a lot more to send in their video, lured by the promise of crystal blue skies, beautiful white beaches, and the comfort that a 3-bedroom villa provides its inhabitants with. Of course, all expenses are covered, so all the participants will have to bring are their swim suits. The semi-finalists of the contest will be taken to the island for a four-day interview.
Out of the 11, only 1 will remain on Hamilton Island, and will start “working” on July 1st. The winner will be chosen via voting. Everyone who will enter the contest's website will be able to vote for their favorite candidate, who will then be entrusted with the caretaker position.