A member of the ning community said the following on a forum titled Do you think they'd pick an Australian for the job?

So I'm going to weigh in on this. Not sure that this'll be all that popular - though maybe controversial. I hope it doesn’t go to an Aussie. But - my reasons are the same that I don’t think it should go to someone who is from southern California, or Hawaii, or Brazil… (see a trend?)

If you’re already living in a warm place, with beaches, scuba diving, snorkeling, sailing etc… then what does Hamilton Island offer you? I mean, aside from $150,000. (Truth be told, I wish there hadn’t been so much money attached to it, since I’m sure that would have cut the competition by half.)

Offering the job to an Aussie is like offering a Canadian a snowflake. Or a Brit some rain water. I guess the obvious rebuttal is “What the hell are you doing living in Canada then?” Hmm. Good question. Maybe I should go to Hamilton Island ;)

- Warren

Eeek… yeah a little controversial... here are a few things that a Sydney-sider would never experience.

1. Some of the friendliest people in the world live there, outgoing and caring, amazingly they all seem to flock to one area. The ratio of outgoing-friendly person to tight-ass-wanker is incredibly high. Probably a hundred outgoings to every one douche-bag.
2. The clearest bluest waters one would ever see... not the polluted beaches that you'd find in the eastern suburbs of Sydney (de-salination plant anyone).
3. The smell of air is phenomenal, it feels like your life span would double from just one breath of its clarity, and the humidity is gorgeous (if you don't like humid climates.. probably best not for you)
4. The tranquility of hiking about the islands and knowing you won't come across another soul in eight hours... not to mention you probably won't get mobile/cell reception on all the islands, so you may as well turn it off.
5. The incredibly soft sand of whithaven beach that is so pure it squeeks when you walk on it, it doesn't get hot because it reflects so much of the suns radiation and it's so soft it's like lying on your favourite couch on a sunday afternoon, oh and it's not littered with syringes, beer cans and most importantly 50,000 backpackers (eg bondi).
6. There are waterfalls just inland (near cannonvale: look it up on gmaps) on the mainland about an hour from shute harbour, that are amongst tropical rain forests. Again few people know about it... so few people go.
7. The Whitsunday passages can be soooo calm and deserted that it's the perfect place to learn to sail, but when you want a challenge it'll give you that too.
8. Sometimes there is gap when the sun goes down and the moon rises, where the islands are lit by nothing but the milky way galaxy... trust me it's clearest night sky you will ever see, it is the most gorgeous view of our solar system from our planet, and when the moon eventually rises, the twilight hits you in this magnificent soft light, that creates magical silhouettes cast from the peaks of each island.
9. Oh… and the last time I went there, I was asked out by the most gorgeous half brazilian half belgium girl to camp under that said night sky on the trampoline of her catamaran. She spoke only french, I spoke only english. It was educational.

Trust me… there are things in the Whitsundays that you will never experience anywhere else Australia let alone the world, and I haven't even got to the reefs yet.

Even if for some very strange reason they don't pick you to be one of the lucky eleven, at some point in your life you won't regret it even if you pay for the flight there.