Let‘s stay a little longer in Australia :)

While reading some sources for my last blog entry, I came across an article about a unusual colored lake. Lake Hillier is a lake on Middle Island, the largest of the islands and islets that form the Recherche Archipelago in Western Australia. What makes Lake Hillier different from other lakes is its color. From above its surface appears a solid bubble gum pink. It is such a significant distinguishing feature that air passengers often crane their necks to take a glimpse of it.

http://nexttriptourism.com/pink-lake-tourism-australia

There are also other pink lakes in the Goldfields-Esperance region in Western Australia, but Lake Hillier is the only one that stays pink all the time. It lies about 3 kilometers west of Esperance and is bounded to the East by the South Cast Highway. Scientists are not sure where the color comes from, but they assume that a special species of algae and prawns give the lake its color. Another hypothesis is that the pink color is due to red halophilic bacteria in the salt crusts. That the color is not a trick of light can be proved by filling water from the lake in a container: the color of the water doesn‘t change. 

http://nexttriptourism.com/pink-lake-tourism-australia

Lake Hillier about 600 meters long, and is surrounded by a rim of sand and a dense woodland of paperbark and eucalyptus trees. A narrow strip of sand dunes covered by vegetation separates it to the north from the Southern Ocean.

http://www.kabavoyages.com/es

One of the first evidence of Middle Island's pink lake dates back to the journals of Matthew Flinders, a British navigator and hydrographer in 1802. Flinders had climbed Middle Island's highest peak, now known as Flinders Peak, to survey the surrounding waters, when he came across this remarkable pink lake. Until a few years ago, before they started to produce salt, the island and its pink lake were almost untouched. Now it has turned into a tourist attraction and its uniqueness and the amazing view fill its visitors with wonder. 

Outback adventurer in Australia? – Count me in ;)

Today I am going to write about the six best jobs in the world. I am sure you have all heard or read about them before. So did I, but I have never known what exactly the people working there have to do and how much money they really earn. 

In 2009 Ben Southall, from Hampshire, beat 34,000 candidates to become the “caretaker“ of Hamilton Island and the Great Barrier Reef. Now the competition has returned again. The only difference is that there is not only one, but six amazing six-months jobs, which come with a stipend of A$ 100,000. The campaign is particularly focused on countries where people are eligible for the Australian working holiday visa, such as the U.K., Ireland, the U.S., Canada, Germany, France, Italy, Sweden, Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea and Japan. Andrew McEvoy, managing director of Tourism Australia, believes these job opportunities will especially appeal to youths facing high unemployment and tough jobs markets in their home town.

http://www.funmag.org

The six jobs include: 

• Chief Funster in New South Wales – professional party-goer living the life of a Sidney-VIP: planning and attending the coolest gigs in the area.
• Outback Adventurer in Northern Territory – having the best adventures in the Australian outback by sleeping under the stars and getting to know the indigenous culture and traditional bush foods.
• Park Ranger in Queensland – protect and promote the wildlife in remarkable rainforests, waterfalls and on untouched beaches.
• Wildlife Caretaker in South Australia – care for kangaroos and koalas, and sunbathe with seals on Kangaroo Island.
• Lifestyle Photographer in Melbourne – create city and country photo shoots and encounter local identities, designers and artists.
• Taste Master in Western Australia – sample the finest wines, eat your way around the state and catch some of the freshest seafood on Australia’s undiscovered coastline.

http://www.twip.org

This year there have been over 40,000 appliers. They had to create and upload a video in English in 30 seconds or less, explaining why they are the best person for the job, and why there’s nothing like Australia. The top 25 entries and video clips for each of the six jobs have already been nominated. The 150 short-listed candidates have now two weeks to submit references to support their application. Among all these nominees there is only one Austrian. 23-year-old Stefan J. from Graz applied for the position as outback adventurer and is still in contention for one of “The Best Jobs in the World“.  The finalists will be announced on 15th May.

http://de.wikipedia.org