Posted 25 Nov 2010

A new chapter in adventure travel in Australia is beginning for Ben Southall, winner of the self-proclaimed "best job in the world", as he embarks on a new expedition.

Continuing in the theme of the career he won in 2009 after a five-month application process involving 34,000 candidates, Mr Southall is returning to Queensland to sail along the Great Barrier Reef, a distance of some 1,600 km.

He says: "I'm thrilled to be undertaking the expedition; from Island Caretaker to promoting the caretaking of the Great Barrier Reef, I will once again take my experiences in Queensland and on the reef to the world."

This time around, his journey does not begin on Hamilton Island, where he served as caretaker, but at 1770, a town named after the year in which Captain Cook landed with the crew of the Endeavour.

Along his route, Mr Southall is due to take in a variety of activities that might be common pursuits for anyone heading away on adventure travel in Australia.

They include bushwalking in Mt Bowen, as well as a dive at Endeavour Reef – the spot where Cook famously ran aground.

Category: Australasia