Finalists named in race for 'best job in the world'

The competition for "the best job in the world" has been narrowed to a shortlist of 16 finalists all hoping to become caretaker of a tropical island paradise off Australia's Great Barrier Reef.
The candidates, including journalists, students, a teacher and an actress, come from 15 countries, and include a "wildcard" Taiwanese woman chosen by the public.
Tourism Queensland selected them from a global field of 50 -- winnowed from a total of 34,684 applicants -- for the six-month job of highly paid caretaker of Hamilton Island, off Australia's far northern coast.
Peter Lawlor, Queensland state's tourism minister, said the top 50 were so impressive that officials had upped the number of finalists to 15 from a planned 10.
"The final shortlisted applicants come from 15 countries, range in age from 20 to 38, comprise 10 men and six women, and include students, journalists, TV presenters, photographers, a receptionist, radio DJ, teacher, charity event manager and an actress," said Lawlor.
"From organising stunts like scuba-diving in a tank in Amsterdam, dressing up as a mermaid in downtown Singapore and spruiking at a London pub, to conducting hundreds of media interviews, the top 50 have shown an incredible amount of ingenuity and passion," he said.