A British charity fundraiser begins a six-month stint today living on a tropical island on Australia's Great Barrier Reef, after beating more than 34,000 applicants for what is billed as the best job in the world.

Ben Southall will be paid $150,000 to live on Hamilton Island in Queensland. His job will include exploring white sand beaches, sailing, snorkelling and scuba diving - and promoting the island to tourists in an online diary.

"How exciting can it get, can't wait for some ocean," Southall wrote in a Twitter posting today.

The appointment is the culmination of a marketing campaign that aims to defy the global recession and boost the number of visitors to Australia. Tourism Queensland estimates the $1.7 million campaign generated more than $100 million worth of publicity and may help reverse a forecast 4.1 per cent decline in international visitors to Australia this year.

Benefits of the job include a three-bedroom house, rent free, and a buggy to explore Hamilton Island, the largest inhabited island in the region with 800 residents. An 18-hole championship golf course, five hotels and activities including sailing, snorkelling and scuba diving draw more than 125,000 visitors a year to the island.

Tourism Queensland unveiled its Best Job in the World competition in January, in the midst of the northern hemisphere winter and the gloom of a global recession.

The power of internet chat forums and social networking sites took over, with more than 200,000 people logging onto its website in the first weekend, straining server capacity.

The tourism board whittled down the entrants to 16 candidates, vetting their 60-second video applications for qualities such as an adventurous spirit and excellent communication skills.

In his application video, which featured pictures of him trekking in Africa, riding an ostrich and kissing a giraffe, Southall described himself as adventurous, crazy and energetic with a passion for discovering new places.

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