Quicksilver Group News
July 22nd, 2009“Best Job in the World” winner experiences Green Island Resort
The winner of the “Best Job in the World”, Ben Southall has spent an action-packed few days on Green Island and the eco-sensitive Green Island Resort, 27 km offshore from Cairns.
From working as an Aussie lifeguard to working behind the scenes of a luxury eco resort, “multi-skilling” would be one way to describe Ben’s activities on Green Island while taking on the challenge of his new role as Caretaker of the Islands of the Great Barrier Reef.
Arriving by seaplane late afternoon, one of his first ‘duties’ was to experience sunset drinks on the beach of this beautiful Great Barrier Reef island, a complimentary evening activity all house guests can enjoy.
Next day it was off to work as an Aussie Lifeguard with the Surf Lifesaving Queensland lifeguards stationed on the island. As a popular day visitor island, Green Island has the only SLSQ patrolled beach on an island in Tropical North Queensland.
A 46 room luxury resort, Green Island Resort has won many awards for environmental practices and with Ben’s engineering background, learning about the ‘back of house’ operations of an eco resort was one of the many highlights.
Behind the scenes, Green Island Resort is self sufficient with power generation, a tertiary sewage treatment plant, a desalination plant and structurally designed to have minimal impact on the environment.
And Ben’s interest was soon put to work with the engineering team cleaning filters in the desalination plant. “Island Caretaker – you’d better believe it!” said Ben.
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In between, there was plenty of time to explore the island from above and below the waterline. A unique helmet dive experience on the sea floor of Green Island’s lagoon with Seawalker and a scenic helicopter flight with Great Barrier Reef Helicopters showcased the island and its surrounding reefs.
Other activities while on Green Island included joining the Resort’s activities officer for the daily fish feeding presentation and guided evening nature activities, learning more about the island’s ecology with the resident Queensland Parks and Wildlife Ranger, and, meeting the island’s oldest and biggest inhabitant, the 100 year old Cassius in the Marineland crocodile habitat!
