Irishman wins ‘dream job’ contest in Oz

One lucky Irishman has been selected as Outback Adventurer in Australia’s Best Jobs in the World competition.

Dubliner Allan Dixon beat more than 300,000 others for the dream job, which will see him “getting up close and personal with Australia’s wildlife; journeying through the outback; meeting the locals and discovering exciting new adventures for young travellers”, according to the job description.

Allan will be paid A$100,00 (€72,000) for the adventure in the Outback in Australia’s Northern Territory.

Managing director of Tourism Australia, Andrew McEvoy, said Allan was the worthy candidate, who has already created and sold his own internet company.

Competition hopefuls had to upload a 30-second video explaining why they were best for the job, with Allan using social media to enlist the support of sprinter Usain Bolt, adventurer Bear Grylls, TV host Conan O’Brien, and actor Hugh Jackman for his bid.

Tourism Australia also selected a Californian as “Chief Funster” in its campaign, which attracted 330,000 applicants from 196 nations.

Englishman Rich Keam was named “Taste Master”, which will see him spend six months touring Western Australia’s best restaurants, wineries, breweries, and pubs.

Frenchwoman Elisa Detrez will spend her time patrolling the tropical beaches of Queensland as a park ranger, taking rainforest walks and promoting Australia’s native plants and animals.

The jobs were open to entrants aged between 18 and 30, designed to promote tourism opportunities offered by Australian working holiday visas.