Want to be a wombat walker? Tasmania is hiring

It’s the off-season in Tasmania, and things are getting odd. In a good way, of course.

During the off season, as winter sets in, the Tasmanian tourism board is getting busy. And they need some help. Recently, they announced a new ‘Odd Job’ campaign featuring 10 classic Tasmanian experiences as “the antithesis to the daily grind.”

And the odder, the better, it seems. You won’t find a hodgepodge of usual side hustles here, but you might get the chance to play paranormal investigator, at Willow Court, Australia’s oldest continually running asylum. Alternatively, you could organize oysters at Great Oyster Bay or conduct musical performances for tour groups venturing within the depths of Gunns Plains Caves (BYO instrument). Other open ‘positions’ include ‘Sauna Stoker,’ ‘Puffer Nut’ on the West Coast Wilderness Railway, and, most adorably, ‘Wombat Walker’.

Unfortunately for anyone who really would like to trade in their day job for the dream variety, these are not actual full-time positions. Rather, Tasmania is offering a set of all-expenses-paid trips to do a short workcation on the island. Wombat walkers, for example, will spend one day volunteering at East Coast Natureworld, tasked with keeping wombats “motivated with encouragement and snacks.”

You’ll also be responsible for making sure they get out of bed, as they would sometimes prefer to sleep in. The winners for each experience will get roundtrip flights to Tasmania, two nights’ accommodation, and a gift basket of local, artisan goodies.

There’s one bit of bad news, depending on whether you’re reading this from: Only Australian adults are eligible to apply.

If you’re eligible to throw your hat in the ring, all you need is 50 killer words about why you’re the perfect person for the gig. Each ‘job’ comes with a full description and some hints about what might make the perfect ‘employee.’ Wombat walker wannabees, for example, should be a “kind and patient soul for when our wombats decide to do their own thing.”

Astronomy buffs gunning for the ‘Star Seeker’ position should have a “stoic attitude towards the weather,” the job description says. “These clouds, too, shall pass.” And ‘Truffle Snuffler’ applicants should be able to give the truffle dogs lots of encouragement as they seek out the goods in Lower Barrington.

The jobs campaign is a clever way for Tasmania to raise awareness about winter tourism opportunities. After all, who wouldn’t click on a job offering to snuggle wombats (you did)? Even though the prize experiences are short trips, combing through the job descriptions paints a pretty attractive picture of the varied delights of the Tasmanian off-season. The responsibilities of the ‘Wine Whisperer’, for example, include sampling sparkling wines. The ‘Soaksmith’ will be required to experiment with aromas to concoct a bath soak experience that captures the essence of the Off Season.

Tourism boards around the world seem to be competing with clever campaigns like this. Recently, Vienna ran a marketing campaign with billboards in Times Square warning people about the ‘Post-Vienna Blues’. This is a depression that may result in returning to normal, everyday life after experiencing Vienna’s opulence. The cure? A return flight, of course. Iceland, too, has run many intriguing campaigns in the past. In 2022, the ‘OutHorse Your Email’ campaign outsourced out of office replies to the country’s horses, who walked over giant keyboards.

It’s not the first time Tasmania has gotten creative, either. In 2021, passengers from a few different flights were gifted merino wool long johns upon arrival on the island. 

Think you have what it takes to thrive in the Tasmanian off-season? Submit your application here in 50 words or less. No resume necessary.

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