Skip to Content

Click on a label to read posts from that part of the world.

Map of the world

2nd Best job in the world falls short on salary

What's the difference between a Brit and an Australian? Oh, about AU$150,000. The recent "best job in the world" contest compared applications from around the world, culminating in an in-person trial. Like Hamilton Island, Aroha Island advertised for a caretaker – calling it the "second best job in the room."

The North Island position doesn't pay a dime, but volunteer manager Jill Smith says the place has "got to be the second best" and that "there's nothing plastic fantastic or flashy about us ... [w]e're just without the deep pockets of Australia's tourism boards."

Aroha Island is 400 meters by 200 meters, not leaving much room to wander around, but it needs someone to keep an eye on it. New Zealand media outlets pushed the opportunity to the world, ultimately leading to 150 quality applications from places as far as the United States, India, Pakistan and Mexico. Ten Australians applied – strangely, mostly from Queensland.

  • Maori Totem
  • Paihia Pier
  • Bay of Islands
  • Paihia & Waitangi
  • Maori Totems
  • Maori Meeting House

Filed under: Oceania, Australia, New Zealand, News

Search Travel Deals

Gadling Features

Categories

Become our Fan on Facebook!

Featured Galleries (view all)

The Volvo Ocean Race onboard Team Abu Dhabi
Virgin Galactic's Gateway to Space
Breakfasts around the world
FoodFlags
Outrageous State Fair Foods
The world's ten most uninhabited countries
Yellowstone in pictures: 2011
Most crowded islands on earth
Burj Khalifa: The tallest building on the planet

Our Writers

Grant Martin

Editor-in-chief

RSS Feed

Don George

Features Editor

RSS Feed

View more Writers