Ben Southall and the Best Job in the World

When he applied for the ‘Best Job in the World’, Ben Southall might have believe, like everybody else, that he was looking at 6 months of laid back lifestyle, relaxation and good times. However upon winning the competition he quickly discovered ‘The Best Job in the World’ came with long hours, hard travel, near death experiences and a whole host of other things.

While he has always been an adventurer by nature, nobody could be prepared for the role. Officially titled ‘Island caretaker’, Ben was involved in over 400 media interviews around the world and kept a steady blog of his adventures and experiences. His website received over 8.5 million viewers and the campaign brought Queensland over $500 000 worth of global publicity.

As well as this, the job took him from one end of the Great Barrier Reef to the other, covering over 2300 kilometres by boat, ferry, car, kayak, train, sea-plane and everything in between. He appeared as a guest at many tourism events and organisations and was the subject of constant media attention throughout his 6 month contract.

But the work didn’t stop there. Receiving the official title of Tourism Ambassador, Ben then embarked on the ‘Best Expedition in the World’ where he endeavoured to kayak 1600 kilometres along the Great Barrier Reef, in an effort to raise awareness and protection for the Great Barrier Reef and surrounding areas.

Ben’s latest project, the Aussie 8 Expedition, sees him attempting to conquer the highest peak in each Australian state, in the record time of ten days. Facing logistical challenges and physical exhaustion, Ben will tackle the first peak on the 11 April 2013 in the ACT, travelling round Australia to each successive mountain, until finally finishing in Queensland nine days later.

But it won’t stop there for Ben Southall, the winner of the ‘Best Job in the World’ who received much more than he bargained for. Nobody knows where his adventures will take him next, but the future looks bright for this unique and adventurous entrepreneur.