Published: 19 March, 2009, 18:56
Edited: 19 March, 2009, 18:56
No 'best job' for a Russian! That was the decision by Australia's Tourism Queensland committee, which excluded the only Russian from the final shortlist of applicants for what they call ‘the Best Job in the World’.
The position in question is as caretaker on one of the many tropical islands off Queensland’s cost – home of the Great Barrier Reef.
But on Thursday, Tourism Queensland decided 29-year-old Julia Yalovitsyna was no longer in with a chance.
Tourism Queensland, is the state’s official visitor management organisation. Among other things, they offer people the chance to become a caretaker of the Islands of the Great Barrier Reef, a mix of work and relaxation, earning them 150,000 Australian dollars (around $100,000) as a bonus.
There are a few minor tasks that need to be taken care of on the island, but the most important duty is to report back to Tourism Queensland (and the world) to let them know what's taking place around the Great Barrier Reef – a soft job, to be brief.
The job attracted around 35,000 applicants.
She had come second in an online vote, putting her firmly among the favourites.
No reason has been given for excluding Yalovitsyna, and no one will take her place. “Given we are in the final stages of the selection process for the Top 10 and wildcard applicant, we will not be replacing Julia with another candidate,” the organisers said.
For some, the decision is not that surprising. Yalovitsyna has recently been involved in a scandal back home in Russia. Her husband was charged with running a porn studio and making adult movies.
Yalovitsyna is a witness in the case. However, during a house search, police came across Julia's computer containing what were described as 'suspicious' photos, including ones of Julia herself. She insists the pictures have never appeared in the internet, and accused her rivals of exaggerating.
But maybe that was enough for Tourism Queensland, which says it adheres to high moral principles, to knock Julia out of the race.
In her most-recent interview, Julia claimed she would have easily coped with the work – which involves a paid, rent-free lifestyle of swimming, snorkeling, and diving – because she 'is not afraid of critical situations'.
This time, though, she’s having enough trouble keeping her head above water.