Assistant to Best Job in the World Australian visa winner goes missing

October 15 2009 by Liam Clifford

A competition to promote Australian working visas has seen it's winner "vanish."

The American winner of a competition to find an assistant for the winner of ‘The Best Job in the World’ has gone missing.

Tourism Queensland awarded Ben Southall the position of ‘caretaker‘ on an Australian island in the Great Barrier Reef back in June. The competition, which thousands of young people entered, was intended to promote Australian working holiday visas, which enable young people to live and work in Australia for a year.

Back in August, the tourism board decided to continue the competition by looking for ‘four mates’ for Southall, who would help him to write his blog about his experiences on the beautiful Hamilton Island.

The winner was identified as a California-based woman, who was supposed to fly out to Hamilton Island with three friends for a seven-week all expenses paid holiday. However, Tourism Queensland officials can’t track her down.

The woman has not returned emails and has not answered her phone or returned messages.

Officials have revealed that they will give the prize-winner until 23 October to claim her prize, or it will be re-drawn.

The competition has been successful at increasing the number of backpackers and applications for Australian working visas in recent months.

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