The application process for the Caretaker of the Great Barrier Reef has now closed. Tourism Minister Desley Boyle said she was blown away by the interest in the island caretaker role. During the closing hours there were 4,000 applicants trying to upload their videos. The website slowed to the point where not all of them were able to finish.
Because of the staggering number of applicants, extra staff has been hired to process the applications. A short list of 50 applicants will be announced on Tuesday, March 3. Those top 50 will then be narrowed down to 11 which will be interviewed in Australia.