It’s a Rough Life: Looking for the best job ever?

Economy got you down? How about the weather? Looking to make a little more money but also get out of the rain?

Australia would like you to apply for what they are ever so casually calling The Best Job in the World: The Caretaker of the Islands of the Great Barrier Reef (their excess capital letters, not mine). You live on a teeny island for six months, get paid good money for it and tell the world about how totally awesome the experience is via blogs and photos. Responsibilities of the job include:

Explore and report back
Thereâ€™s so much to see and do, so youâ€™ll have plenty to write about in your weekly blog. And with so much life above and below the water, youâ€™re sure to capture some entertaining moments for your video diary and photo gallery. To keep you busy, Tourism Queensland will organise a schedule of travel and events on the Islands of the Great Barrier Reef. Your schedule could include sampling a new luxury spa treatment at qualia on Hamilton Island, trying out new snorkelling gear on Heron Island, or bushwalking on Hinchinbrook Island.

Feed the fish
There are over 1,500 species of fish living in the Great Barrier Reef. Donâ€™t worry â€“ you wonâ€™t need to feed them all.

Clean the pool
The pool has an automatic filter, but if you happen to see a stray leaf floating on the surface itâ€™s a great excuse to dive in and enjoy a few laps.

Collect the mail
Youâ€™ll have some time on your hands, so why not join the aerial postal service for a day? Itâ€™s a great opportunity to get a birdâ€™s eye view of the reef and islands.

Among the selection criteria, you’ll find this slightly iffy phrase:

“Presentation skills (being media-friendly)”

… which sounds an awful lot like “Look pretty for the cameras!”

But I do particularly enjoy the last thing on the list of criteria:

“At least one year’s relevant experience”

… which would be what, exactly?

Still, nice work, if you can get it.

A Note From the Publisher

Dear Readers,

The last two years have been some of the hardest in Eugene Weekly’s 43 years. There were moments when keeping the paper alive felt uncertain. And yet, here we are — still publishing, still investigating, still showing up every week.

That’s because of you!

Not just because of financial support (though that matters enormously), but because of the emails, notes, conversations, encouragement and ideas you shared along the way. You reminded us why this paper exists and who it’s for.

Listening to readers has always been at the heart of Eugene Weekly. This year, that meant launching our popular weekly Activist Alert column, after many of you told us there was no single, reliable place to find information about rallies, meetings and ways to get involved. You asked. We responded.

We’ve also continued to deepen the coverage that sets Eugene Weekly apart, including our in-depth reporting on local real estate development through Bricks & Mortar — digging into what’s being built, who’s behind it and how those decisions shape our community.

And, of course, we’ve continued to bring you the stories and features many of you depend on: investigations and local government reporting, arts and culture coverage, sudoku and crossword puzzles, Savage Love, and our extensive community events calendar. We feature award-winning stories by University of Oregon student reporters getting real world journalism experience. All free. In print and online.

None of this happens by accident. It happens because readers step up and say: this matters.

As we head into a new year, please consider supporting Eugene Weekly if you’re able. Every dollar helps keep us digging, questioning, celebrating — and yes, occasionally annoying exactly the right people. We consider that a public service.

Thank you for standing with us!