'Best jobs' open to the world

Fancy getting paid to eat your way around Western Australia, be a VIP in Sydney, tour the outback or be a trendsetter in Melbourne?

While some working holiday travellers settle for pouring beer or picking pawpaws, Tourism Australia is offering their pick of the six Best Jobs in the World.

It follows on from Tourism Queensland's Best Job in the World competition which was widely acclaimed globally as the most successful tourism campaign ever.

Tourism Australia plans to take this concept to a new level.

Applications are now open for a Melbourne lifestyle photographer, Northern Australia outback adventurer, Queensland park ranger, Western Australia taste master, Sydney chief funster and South Australia wildlife caretaker.

Winners will be paid $50,000, almost $2000 a week, for a six-month contract and will receive a further $50,000 for expenses.

The competition is open to anyone aged over 18 who is legally allowed to work in Australia, including Australian citizens.

Tourism Australia Managing Director Andrew McEvoy says the aim of the competition is to boost the number of working holiday tourists visiting Australia.

Not only do they each spend about $13,000 during their stay, but they're also needed to fill 36,000 unskilled job vacancies.

"The value to the economy is good, but I think the fact that these kids work and holiday and get deeply into regional Australia is really important," he told AAP.

"Capital city tourism has been going for a while, but regional Australia has been struggling a bit and now we're seeing it bounce back."

Ben Southall, who won the Best Job in the World competition in 2009, says the experience was life-changing.

The Briton was paid to act as a caretaker for the Great Barrier Reef while staying in a multimillion-dollar mansion for six months on Hamilton Island.

"I didn't know if I was going to be diving, or skydiving or cooking or bushwalking - and I did all of them," he told AAP.

"It's one of those things where you've just got to go for it and see where it leads you."

And what kind of person does it take to win?

"You've got to have a lot of energy, a sense of adventure and you've got to be a bit courageous," he said.

Mr McEvoy says the Best Jobs in the World competition will showcase the best of Australia and appeal to young travellers' sense of fun and adventure.

About 1.6 million people under the age of 30 travel to Australia each year, making up just over a quarter of all tourists and contributing about $12 billion a year to the economy.

Working holiday visas are offered to 29 countries, and discussions are under way to extend this to another 13.

Tourism Australia will spend $2.3 million on the best jobs campaign, with a further $1.7m coming from corporate sponsorship and state funding.

Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory chose not to participate in the competition.

* Visit www.australia.com/bestjobs to enter.