News Service from House Harris

Qld: Dream job seekers dazzle selectors

BRISBANE, April 3 AAP - It's taken three months and 34,684 applicants, but 16 impressive job seekers have dazzled their way into the final round of Queensland's Best Job in the World competition.

Forty-seven short-listed candidates had nervous waits by the phone ended on Friday as the top 15 joined the public's wildcard in scoring plane tickets to the Great Barrier Reef's Hamilton Island for the final cut on May 6.

The successful applicant will get $150,000 and six months to explore the reef and blog about the experience, acting as an international ambassador for Queensland tourism in the process.

The candidates come from a range of backgrounds but have one thing in common - they blew away selectors who shelved initial plans to have only 11 finalists.

Photographer Magali Hueberger, from the Netherlands, dived into a tank of water in busy Amsterdam square in the middle of winter in her attention-grabbing quest for selection.

The 25-year-old screamed as she received the news on Friday before leading her friends in an "Aussie, Aussie, Aussie, Oi, Oi, Oi" chant.

Brisbane girl Hailey Turner's 12-day, round-the-world trip to promote Queensland also grabbed attention.

New Zealand TV presenter Clarke Gayford, 32, impressed with his witty blog - as well as swimming with sharks during a media interview.

And physical education teacher Greg Reynen donned flippers and goggles and paraded around central Singapore to show selectors how keen he was for the job.

Korean radio journalist, Juweon Kim promoted the Great Barrier Reef through his blog - which he also translated into Spanish.

Given the good news on Friday by Queensland Tourism Minister Peter Lawlor, Juweon was thankful.

"I've been waiting to hear your voice. Your voice sounds like an angel right now," he told Mr Lawlor.

Ben Henry - a 23-year-old marketing student from France - created a "virtual Ben" and a highly-detailed website that gave him the edge.

The USA's Cali Lewis also impressed with her online pursuits.

The 28-year-old Texan is the host and producer of web show GeekBrief.TV, where she and her husband share their lives online.

The success of the show has allowed her to quit her job to work full time on the project - which she'll continue in Australia if she wins.

Also a keen blogger, Australian James Hill worked as a photographer on the Whitsunday's Daydream Island before moving to London.

He recently decided to move back to Australia but the 26-year-old seemed to have been blindsided by the news of his upcoming trip to Hamilton Island.

"All my friends have caught the last tube home so I'm by myself," he said.

Meanwhile, Vancouver online news editor, Erik Rolfsen, 39, was keen to hear how the weather was ahead of his trip.

"Well actually it's raining today but it'll be okay by the time you get here," Tourism Minister Peter Lawlor told him.

Others were already celebrating blue skies ahead.

George Karellas, 31, recently quit his job in Ireland to embark on a surfing trip along coastal Europe and applied for the job to continue the fun.

"We're drinking VB," he told the tourism minister on receiving the good news.

UK charity worker Ben Southall, 34, German actress Mirjam Novak, 28, Tokyo receptionist Mieko Kobayashi, 31, and Indian radio DJ Anjaan RJ were all selected for their exuberant personalities and the vast media attention they were able to command.

The competition's wild card, Taiwanese interpreter Clare Wang, secured her spot with more than 150,000 votes from across the world last month.

While plugged as a dream job, the tag took on a new meaning for China's Yi Yao when received a sleepy wake-up call to give him the good news.

"This is the greatest good-morning call I will ever get," the 30-year-old scuba-diving fanatic said.