The Best Job in the World

On 31 December 2009, Ben Southall hung up his snorkel and wetsuit as his time as Caretaker of the Islands of the Great Barrier Reef came to a close.

Whether you've followed Ben's adventures through his blog or were lucky enough to meet him on his travels, we're sure he's inspired you with some of the amazing things he's seen.

Ben's redefined the Island Caretaker position with his active and infectious personality. There was no lazing by the pool for this adventurous spirited Brit he kept very busy travelling to over 50 of the 600 Islands of the Great Barrier Reef, hosting global media, appearing on Oprah and in his spare time he's posted over 60 blogs, attracted more than 3,600 twitter followers, shot hours of video and snapped in excess of 900 photographs.

Ben has truly explored and immersed himself in not only all that the Islands of the Great Barrier Reef has to offer but also much further afield.

He has journeyed through many of Queensland's coastal towns and cities and the varied landscapes of rainforest and hinterland, savoured the unique cultures of the Australian Aborigines and the Torres Strait Islanders as well as the wide-open spaces of Queensland's Outback, adorned with history, legends and the real Aussie character!

What's next for Ben?

Ben's become part of the Tourism Queensland family and will continue to tell our story to the world throughout 2010...stay tuned!