The Great Barrier Reef is “of outstanding natural importance to the common heritage of HUMANITY!”

The Great Barrier Reef in Australia!!

The Great Barrier Reef in Australia!!

So thanks to the Twitter account of Tourism Queensland, I was introduced to some awesome Queensland Holiday & Travel Podcasts this week! It was very interesting listening to the podcasts and it just made me even more determined and desperate to get the Best Job in the World and experience all of the amazing that Queensland has to offer!

(Note: Even if I don’t get the job, after all of this, I’m definitely making a trip to Queensland a priority in my near future. <3 BUT LET’S NOT THINK NEGATIVELY! I will get this job!!! ;))

In this blog I’d like to highlight some things from the Great Barrier Reef, Great Barrier Reef Islands and Whitsundays podcasts! So like the title of this post says, in 1991, the GBR was declared to be “of outstanding natural importance to the common heritage of humanity.” When I first heard that I literally stopped because it sounds so epic. LOL. Don’t you think?

The Great Barrier Reef: One of the 7 Natural Wonders of the World!

The Great Barrier Reef: One of the 7 Natural Wonders of the World!

So the Great Barrier Reef runs 2,300 km (1,429 miles. I don’t know these conversions off hand, by the way. Credit to convertunits.com! ;)) along the Queensland coast. Along with it’s 400 types of coral reef, 1500+ species of fish, there are 74 islands that the reef surrounds! Only 8 of the islands are inhabited (including Hamilton Island, where I would be staying if I become Island Caretaker), but the rest of them are definitely explore-able. :D

Some activities to do on the islands of The Great Barrier Reef? Scuba-diving, snorkeling, sailing, bushwalking, jet-skiing, and island hopping via sea planes! (And those are just to name only a FEW of what you can do in this paradise).

The HEART of the Barrier Reef! (Hardy Reef) Naturally shaped like that!!!

'The HEART of the Barrier Reef!' (Hardy Reef) Naturally shaped like that!!!

I also found out while listening to the podcasts, that this famous heart-shaped reef that I kept seeing pictures of all over the place whenever I searched up Queensland, Australia, is NATURALLY FORMED LIKE THAT! My brother had asked me last week whether or not it was man-made to attract tourists and make for good photographs and I had shrugged and said ‘I really don’t know actually,’ but now I do! ;)

Also, have you ever wanted to clean your jewelry? (LOL) Well apparently on the beautiful Whitehaven Beach, you can actually clean your jewelry (effectively) on the white sand!!!! But that’s really just an extra perk.

The beautiful white sand of Whitehaven Beach!

The beautiful white sand of Whitehaven Beach!

Another thing I wanted to point out, because as I’ve said in a few media interviews and just in general since this whole Best Job campaign started, is that I’m easily one of the least-experienced candidates in the Top 50. I don’t have certified degrees in diving or snorkeling and other worldly experience, but I don’t think that should be a requirement in order to get this job!! You don’t require tourists coming to Queensland to be certified swimmers and divers right! And as the Island Caretaker job is really like being the ultimate tourist, I don’t think it’s required that I be a professional all-that-stuff in order to be amazing at the job! Maybe by the end of my 6 month time in Queensland I will be a professional swimmer/diver/snorkeler/etc, but I think it’s all part of the fun, the experience, and the appeal, to learn how to do everything there, and experience it like a true tourist would for the purposes of this job. :D

Also, this was said in one of the podcasts which definitely supports what I’m saying:

“You don’t have to be an experienced diver to enjoy the great beauty of the Great Barrier Reef!”

So there! Queensland said it themselves! ;)

Anyway, I encourage everyone to listen to the podcasts (linked up at the beginning of the post). I’m falling more in love with Australia by the day and I think if everyone took some time to read up about it, look at some pictures, view some video footage and research the place, you would fall in love with it too. Because seriously what I’ve written here in this post today doesn’t even touch the surface of what you can do Down Under. I. want. this. job. so. bad.

Please remember to vote! Only a few more days left for voting!

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