Townsman Staff
A young man who studied at the College of the Rockies is bound for Australia in a final bid to score the best job in the world.
College of the Rockies Adventure Tourism Business Operations graduate Greg Snell is one of three finalists for Tourism Australia's 'Best Job in the World – Wildlife Caretaker'.
The goal of the competition is to help Tourism Australia find the best candidates for six different positions – Chief Funster, Outback Adventurer, Park Ranger, Wildlife Caretaker, Lifestyle Photographer and Taste Master. With over 330,000 applicants from 196 countries, Snell is the only Canadian to make it to the finals.
The position he is in the running for – Wildlife Caretaker – would find Snell living on Kangaroo Island in South Australia for six months, swimming with great white sharks, snorkelling with sea lions, hanging out with kangaroos and helping to conserve the pristine natural environment of the island. He explains, "Kangaroo Island is about the size of Prince Edward Island and is basically a zoo with no fences."
Since completing the Adventure Tourism Business Operations program at the College's Golden campus in 2009, Snell completed a Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) funded internship in Ecuador, focussing on sustainable development through tourism.
That experience helped him obtain his current employment with a Canadian adventure tourism company working as a tour leader in the Southern Cone of South America. He leads small group adventure travel trips through Chile, Bolivia, Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, and the Patagonia.
"The Adventure Tourism program was definitely the kick-start to the amazing experiences I have had so far," Snell says. "It is an incredible opportunity for young Canadians to jump-start a career in international tourism. The program helped prepare me to work in the industry and to have a chance at such an exciting opportunity like this competition."
Snell will travel to Australia on June 10 and take part in a week of competitions before the final decision of who will be awarded the 'Best Job' is made on June 21. Follow his adventures on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/GregSnellWildlifeCaretaker. His application video can be viewed on the Tourism Australia website: http://www.australia.com/best-jobs.aspx