Work and play in paradise 

For just $299, working holidaymakers get one-way travel to the Sunshine State on a Greyhound coach, unlimited travel on the Greyhound Queensland network and $200 off a series of experiences such as scenic flights and sky-diving.

The pass has a retail value of $739.

Queensland has 1000 tourism jobs going begging and is hoping the pass with lure backpackers and tourists to the state to work and play.

The offer lasts until the end of August with some 900 experiences up for grabs with the discounts, including a three-day Moreton Island 4WD tour, a one-hour flight to Heart Reef and a three-day Fraser Island adventure.

Queensland is currently experiencing widespread labour shortages, with the unemployment rate sitting at four per cent in March 2022. 

The Australian Bureau of Statistics revealed 76,900 job vacancies in February 2022, a record number since the statistic was first published 39 years ago. 

The Queensland government’s online hub for hospitality and tourism sectors jobs (workinparadise.com.au) is advertising about 1262 employment opportunities across the state.

Green Island Resort’s general manager, Sue O’Donnell, said the Great Barrier Reef is the perfect place to gain wonderful life experiences in one of the most beautiful parts of the world, all while getting paid.

“Green Island Resort is recruiting right now for chefs, food and beverage servers, through to housekeepers and front office team members where you can live on the island or commute from nearby Cairns,” she said.

“There’s also a lot of perks to get out and experience the Great Barrier Reef. It is quite literally on your doorstep of the resort and you can dive right in before or after work.”

In the Whitsundays, Hamilton Island CEO Pete Brulisauer said working holidaymakers are important to not only Hamilton Island but the entire tourism industry.

“The loss of skilled workers during the pandemic contributed to a labour shortfall across the industry so it is a relief to welcome them back,” he said.