Queensland launched the best travel advertising and marketing campign ever. Would-be Island Caretakers from 162 countries around the world have so far applied for Tourism Queensland's "Best Job in the World". More than 9,000 applications have been received in the three weeks since the global campaign was launched on January 11. More than 2.3 million people have visited the www.islandreefjob.com website and viewed over 14 million pages.

Applicants from as diverse locations as Paris and Mongolia to Kazakhstan and Chile have logged onto the website, www.islandreefjob.com.

The "Best Job in the World" offers the successful candidate the opportunity to spend six months exploring the Islands of the Great Barrier Reef and reporting back on their experiences.

The "Island Caretaker" will be based on Hamilton Island, live in a luxury oceanfront villa and be paid a salary of AUD$150,000 for the six month contract in return for exploring some of the 600 Islands of the Great Barrier Reef, and undertaking activities including snorkelling, diving, sailing and island-hopping.

The Best Job in the World campaign has been strongly supported by the Queensland tourism industry, especially key sponsor Hamilton Island. Candidates have until February 22 to lodge their application. What are you waiting for mate?