Our Dino's boypallie Ricci applies for 'best job in the world"

Hey pallies, likes checks out what our Dino's boypallie Ricci is up to...applyin' for the best job in the world.....the highly paid job of looking after a tropical island on the Great Barrier Reef. Won't it be the coolest if our Dino's boy gets the position. So, lets send groovy Dinothoughts to our Ricci with our best wishes for Dinosuccess in this endeavor. To reads all 'bout this in it's original format, just clicks on the tagg of this Dinopost. Dinowishin', DMP




Rush to apply for 'best job in world' as deadline looms
Almost 23,000 people have applied for 'the best job in the world', including 1,500 Britons, which offers the successful candidate six months in a luxury villa on Hamilton Island, on Australia's Great Barrier Reef, and a salary of £69,000.

By Bonnie Malkin in Sydney
Last Updated: 1:27PM GMT 20 Feb 2009

More than 20,000 people have applied for the highly paid job of looking after a tropical island on the Great Barrier Reef Photo: EPA
Once they have settled into their new surroundings, they will be free to explore the surrounding Great Barrier Reef or simply laze on the beach with little to distract them except the responsibility of writing the odd blog about life in paradise.

Interest in the job has been so intense as Sunday's deadline approaches, that Tourism Queensland had to increase its IT support for the website to prevent it crashing.

It was estimated, at its peak, 4,000 people applied for the role each day.

Among the hopefuls were a US soldier in Iraq, a New Zealand travel presenter, and Dean Martin's son, Ricci.

Applications have come from more than 200 countries worldwide, or as Tourism Queensland likes to put it "from everywhere from Azerbaijan to Zimbabwe".

Some went to great lengths to showcase their suitability for the job, others simply sat on their sofas and pleaded.

More than 1,500 Britons have applied for the role, the third largest nationality after Americans (7,500) and Canadians (1,800).

Nicole McNaughton, Tourism Queensland spokeswoman, said the office had been overwhelmed by the efforts some hopefuls had gone to.

"Potential applicants have sent out press releases, sourced their own media coverage and established websites dedicated to their applications," she said.

The campaign is part of an attempt by the state to lure visitors back to its tourist hotspots. Queensland's economy is suffering from falling visitor numbers, and is desperate for a shot in the arm.

Applications close at 11.59pm on Sunday. Once the deadline has passed, a team of 15 Tourism Queensland employees will wade through the 60-second video clips to create a 50-strong shortlist. The group will then be subjected to online psychometric testing and whittled down to 10, with the public invited to vote for their favourite, who will make up a wildcard entry into the final 11.

The finalists will then be flown to Queensland for intensive interviews and the winner will be announced on May 6.

But unsuccessful applicants should not despair Ron Clarke, mayor of the Gold Coast near Brisbane, has offered applicants a consolation prize - the job of caretaker at a resort on South Stradbroke Island.

While admitting the salary would be a fraction of the Hamilton Island job, Mr Clarke said the position would be just as invigorating.