Baby, it’s cold outside – and inside you’re working a 9-5pm job that you hate.
There’s only one thing for it: move to Tasmania to become a paranormal investigator.
Or a sauna stoker, bath salt maker and truffle snuffler.
If Tasmania Tourism has anything to do with it, that’s exactly what people will be doing this winter. As part of the island’s new hiring drive, and in a bid to boost tourism during the low season, a series of odd job positions have been created to entice potential candidates, including a wombat walker, oyster organiser and perhaps most intriguing, a paranormal investigator.
While the jobs are all unpaid, Tasmania Tourism will pay for you to get there, covering the cost of your flights and accommodation while you’re there.
The catch? Only adult residents currently living in Australia are eligible to apply. However, the application process is pleasantly simple. Applicants need only submit a 50-word pitch, explaining why they would like to trade in their current day job for an “odd job”.
The second catch? An opportunity like this won’t last long. Quite literally. Most roles expire after a single day.
There are 10 job openings to apply for. Here are some of our favourites.
Wine Whisperer
Dust off the garden secateurs and flex those green thumbs, Clover Hill Wines is looking for an intuitive gardener to help them cultivate the grapes. This one-day volunteering experience will see you pruning the vines for future growth, while sampling the (approx. 11% alcohol percentage) fruits of your labour.
Wombat Walker
Wombats love to waddle but they shouldn’t be allowed out alone – to run amok across the spectacular Tasmanian landscape. Join East Coast Natureworld and motivate the resident wombats to get their daily exercise. Volunteers will be responsible for monitoring their morning walks; encouraging the lazy ones and deterring mischevious types from chasing birds.
Photo / Ros Wharton
Soaksmith
You may have heard of a wordsmith; master manipulators of complex lexicon, and a ‘soaksmith’ is not dissimilar, except employees will be required to create and mix signature bath soaks at Little Things Farm. During your one-day career, you’ll enjoy a hands-on experience blending salts, scents and colours to create your perfect bath elixir.
Sauna stoker
To reiterate, it’s cold outside, so apply for a one-day job at Chain of Lagoons, Tasmania’s prettiest wood-fired saunas. Note: wood-fired, meaning the fire needs to be stoked at all times. The job requires steady wood replenishment, maintaining a cosy temperature and to continually test the sauna to ensure optimal relaxation.
Paranormal investigator
Those with a nervous disposition need not apply. You’ll be required to spend time at Willow Court, Australia’s oldest continually run asylum and keep a lookout for ghosts, ghouls and things going “woooooo”. As part of your daily tasks, you’ll endure a stint on the security ward for the criminally insane, then capture and document your findings – like a modern-day Scooby Doo.
For a full list of job descriptions, see discovertasmania.com.au/off-season/odd-jobs