Job includes luxury island life of snorkeling and socializing

British man wins Aussie's "best job in the world"
Luxury

Stuck behind a desk working a 9 to 5? Well then you might envy a lucky British man who won the chance to take a stab at the "best job in world" as manager of an Australian tropical island for six months.Charity worker Ben Southall was selected by tourism chiefs in Queensland, who launched a global hunt to fill the spot, from 34,000 applications and beat out 15 candidates from around the world.
No longer working as a charity fundraiser in the United Kingdom, the 34-year-old will become manager of Hamilton Island, on the Great Barrier Reef as part of efforts to revive Australian tourism that witnessed a decline in the wake of economic recession.

"I hope I can fill the boots as much as everybody is expecting.

My swimming is hopefully up to standard and I look forward to all the new roles and responsibilities that the task involves," Southall told BBC.

Luxury
Living in a three bedroom villa on Hamilton Island equipped with a private pool and ocean views and a golf buggy, Southall is set to report back to Tourism Queensland through blogs, photo diaries, video updates and interviews.

His new job requires him to explore "the islands of the Great Barrier Reef, swim, snorkel, make friends with the locals and generally enjoy the tropical Queensland climate and lifestyle," according to Tourism Queensland website.

The "best job in the world" contest has generated huge interest around the globe, but the jury is out on whether that will translate into more tourism dollars for Queensland, Australia.