In it to Win it

Awhile ago my dad sent me a link to this contest: Tourism Queensland is vetting a "caretaker" for the Great Barrier Reef Islands. The winner gets $150,000 AUD and six months in a luxury oceanfront home on Hamilton Island, the largest of the inhabited Whitsundays.

Catch? Said caretaker must blog about the gig. So I'm qualified, right?

Entries had to be under a minute long. Videos were supposed to demonstrate why the applicant thinks she is best for the job and what she knows about the islands.

Taking the time and effort to enter elevated my interest in Australia. I'm considering a work-holiday visa and maybe heading down under this Fall (unless of course I win, in which case I'll be there in July).

Besides sparking my curiousity, this contest also illuminated how miserably not-unique I am: When I watched my video on YouTube, two other young, North American Leslies with communication backgrounds also hoping to be island caretaker popped up in the related searched column (you can see them here and here).

If you've never done it, it's sort of eerie to watch multiple people say "Hi, my name is Leslie" on YouTube (of course, you would cross out Leslie and insert your own name).

To my credit, the other Leslies didn't do somersaults or give CPR to fish in their videos. I think I have it made.

Also! Here's a link to James' entry.