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The final sixteen candidates for the best job in the world – a six month stint in the Great Barrier Reef – are about to fly to Hamilton Island for their final interviews. We caught up with Juweon Kim from South Korea, Magali Heuberger from the Netherlands and Clarke Gayford from New Zealand to talk to them about the position and their chances of becoming the island caretaker.

In January, Tourism Queensland announced this position: living on Hamilton Island, flying and boating around the Great Barrier Reef, feeding the fish while diving … all for a cool AUD$150,000 — around US$100,000. Over 34,000 applicants tried their hand and over the last few months this number was whittled down to 50 then 16.

Juweon Kim

Juweon Kim is one of the short-listed applicants. Born in South Korea, he grew up in the States and currently works as a radio journalist. An avid golfer, he’s keen to hit the links as soon as he arrives. Find Juweon on Twitter.

Magali Heuberger

Magali Heuberger has travelled through Europe as well as Turkey and Cuba. She’s a photographer from the Netherlands that has also worked in PR and Communications. We talk with Magali about the dive stunt she pulled: her first SCUBA dive in the middle of a busy Amsterdam square. Find Magali on Twitter.

The Diving Stunt from Magali Heuberger on Vimeo.

Clarke Gayford

Clarke Gayford is a radio and TV presenter from New Zealand. As part of his application he went swimming with sharks … not a bad effort either! He’s been able to fund his travels through his TV work and is looking forward to showcasing the Great Barrier Reef. His girlfriend, Hollie, makes a mean carrot cake too. Find Clarke on Twitter.

To hear these people talk about their applications and experiences, click the orange play button above, or click here to open the Indie Travel Podcast in iTunes.

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This article was written by Craig and Linda

Craig and Linda Martin have been living on the road since February 2006. Both born and raised in Auckland, New Zealand they are ... somewhere in the world! Craig and Linda host the Indie Travel Podcast - you can get in touch with them here.