The best job in the world

LOOK in the job pages of The Herald, or any other newspaper, and you'll no occasionally see a 'caretaker' position.

Not once have I ever considered such a position... until now.

The very position I looked at wasn't at a school, a prison or a sports centre - it was on an island. And not just any island, Hamilton Island – the largest inhabited island in Australia's Great Barrier Reef region.

Earlier on this week Tourism Queensland advertised the Island Caretaker position on a newly set up website at www.islandreefjob.com. Such was the hype surrounding the post that the website crashed just minutes after 9am on the day of launch - seemingly when everyone in England arrived at their desks and thought 'what the hell!'

Advertised as 'The best job in the world', they're not wrong. I mean what could make the task seem tedious?

Is it feeding the fish? Cleaning the pool? Basking in all-year-round warm temperatures? The surrounds of blue skies, pure sands and crystal clear water? Collecting the mail?

ARE YOU STILL READING THIS? If so, WHY?

Oh, did I mention the successful candidate will also be paid a salary package of AUD $150,000 for the six-month contract.

He or she will receive return airfares from your nearest capital city (in your home country),

accommodation and transport on Hamilton Island, travel insurance for the contract period,

computer, internet, digital video and stills cameras access, plus travel to a number of the

other Islands of the Great Barrier Reef.

The six-month contract commences 1st July, 2009.

So, if you don't hear from me from July onwards... you'll know why.

While surfing the web this week I've also managed to discover possibly the handiest website ever for those with broken cars.

www.findapart.co.uk is a wonder to behold and fills me full of warm glowing things when I think about.

That's in stark contrast to the internal fiery red rage I feel when I think about garages and mechanics.

This website is everything it says on the tin and more.

And it works like this.

Say you're looking for a part for your car, say a gearbox, and every garage you phone says "no chance".

Visit the website and fill in a very short (not exceedingly long compared to most websites) form giving the make and model of your car and the part you're looking for, followed by your name, telephone (optional) or email address (also optional).

Then click 'submit'. My details went out to everyone on the website's database and... within a day I got a text, email, and a phone call offering me a gearbox with free delivery up in Blackburn. Now that's a service.

Anyways, here's the best releases of the last week:



Title: Lord of the Rings: Conquest

Platform: Xbox 360

Genre: Action / Adventure

Price: £49.99

Hit count: 4/5

Lord of the Rings never fails to set the gaming fraternity’s collective pulse racing when details of a new release are made available. Conquest takes an easily accessible action/adventure slant on the many battles played out in the three films to hook fans of Tolkien’s epic work once again. The reward for completing a fantastically engaging heroic campaign is unlocking the evil one, which plays out the scenario of the ring falling into Sauron’s hands – a devilishly enjoyable experience. Crisp graphics, atmospheric sound and an easy to pick up and play control system make this the best next-gen hack’n’slash that 2009 has offered up so far.

4/5



Title: Tomb Raider: Underworld

Platform: PS2

Genre: Action

Price: £29.99

Hit count: 4/5

This was the kind of big-budget, classic franchise release that we were all desperate to be a hit on the next-gen consoles. So it’s good to report that Tomb Raider: Underworld is an equally impressive return to form for Lara Croft on PS2, as she embarks on an incredible journey around the world to uncover the secrets of a forgotten power. Lara feels totally re-invigorated, with a wealth of new acrobatic abilities and weaponry to tackle the treacherous landscapes of Thailand, the Arctic sea and Mexico, to name but three. The graphics were never going to match its next-gen counterparts, yet the environments still cleverly hide a host of devised puzzles to tackle. Combine that with an advanced combat system that puts you in complete control of the beautiful Croft and you know you have a sure-fire winner here.




Title: Mirror’s Edge

Platform: PC

Genre: Action

Price: £34.99

Hit count: 4/5

This is no ordinary first person title – let’s make that very clear from the outset. That alone should send you shooting to the shops to snap up this instant classic from EA. As Faith, a ’Runner’ in a world where communication channels are highly monitored and the movement of information is closely watched, you’re launched into a career as one of these high-octane adrenalin-pumping couriers. From the off, you’ll see first-hand how the incredible perspective and pace of movement push this game to the limits, as you find yourself on the edge of the city, on the wrong side of the law, and out to discover the truth behind your sister’s wrongful framing for murder. Superb chases and intense combat – this is an awesome, high-flying experience.



Title: Jeep Thrills

Platform: Wii

Genre: Driving

Price: £19.99

Hit count: 2/5

Some games should never have made it out of the developer’s studio and Jeep Thrills on PS2 was one of them. What’s all the more shocking is that it has been sit fit to transform to Wii and nearly all of the flaws that held this game back first time round, arise again. Slow, repetitive and poorly presented, this can hardly be classed as a racer, such is the pedestrian pace of proceedings. The tracks are tedious, the turbo boosts barely make a difference to closing the distance on the leaders and the less said about the sound, the better. Suffice to say that if you’re looking to kick off your 2009 with a whimper, Jeep Thrills is where to start. Everyone else should avoid it at all costs...



Title: Lost in Blue 3

Platform: Nintendo DS

Genre: Adventure

Price: £29.99

Hit count: 3/5

Lost on a desert island, with all the exotic trappings such an experience entails, the third installment of the Lost in Blue series has you guiding one of two stranded characters, each with their own personal history, through the mysterious isle, surviving the elements to stay alive. You’ll need to work cooperatively with other characters to gather food, explore the island and hunt dangerous wildlife, and by completing one character’s storyline you will unlock the storylines of two additional characters, allowing you to explore the island in different ways, experience new storylines, and uncover different endings. That’s a decent reward for fans of the series, but the whole feel and gameplay of this is remarkably similar to the first two, so you may find your patience tested. A decent adventure nonetheless.


GAMES CHART ALL FORMATS FULL PRICE

1.FIFA 09

2.Call of Duty: World At War

3.Need For Speed: Undercover

4.Wii Fit

5.Wii Play

6.Guitar Hero: World Tour

7.Mario & Sonic At The Olympic Games

8.Quantum Of Solace

9.LEGO Indiana Jones: Original Adventures

10.Mario Kart Wii

Leisure software charts compiled by Chart Track, (c) ELSPA (UK) Ltd