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TV presenter Clarke Gayford is one of 50 finalists in the ‘best job in the world competition’, run by Tourism Queensland.

Over 35,000 people from around the world have applied to spend six months as caretaker for the Great Barrier Reef islands, blog about it and get paid AUS$150K for the pleasure.

Gayford is the only New Zealander and if he wins it’d surely do more for New Zealand tourism than John Key. Tourism Queensland will pick 10 finalists from the 50, wisely not leaving it up to a global vote. But one lucky wildcard winner, the result of an online vote, will also be added to the pool of finalists.

Gayford says: “If you like me and have a minute it would be really rad if you could send a little vote-love my way, or if you don’t like me then think of a vote as a way of getting rid of me for six months.”

Vote for Clarke here (you can vote once every 24 hours until 24 March)

Visit the site here.

The AUS$1.7 million viral marketing campaign has worked a treat for the Sunshine state, generating a reported AUS$70 million worth of publicity, largely a result of PR and online social networking.

These top 11 will fly to Hamilton Island in early May to take part in the final selection process, and the successful candidate will be announced on May 6.