Just minutes after officials from Tourism Queensland announced, 11pm on April 2nd the final short list of sixteen lucky candidates for what has been dubbed ‘The Best Job in the World’, oddsmakers at PinnacleSports.com began calculating odds on who would win.

The dream job as caretaker of a tropical Australian paradise island carries a $105,000 salary for a 6 month term, starting July 1st. With odds finalised just minutes after the shortlist was announced, leading online bookmaker, PinnacleSports.com, has released the first official betting lines on the winner of ‘The Best Job in the World’.

Clare Wang from Taiwan has been installed as the early 3.50* favourite (bet $100 to return $350). The skydiving, mountain-climbing, interpreter received a Wildcard entry after her video application polled 36% (151,676 votes) of all those cast across 50 previously short-listed candidates. “She has done an amazing job of promoting Queensland and the islands of the Great Barrier Reef, which is exactly what the Best Job in the World campaign is all about” said Anthony Hayes, CEO of Tourism Queensland, who today announced a further fifteen hand-picked candidates making up the final sixteen.

“With 35,000 applicants reduced to 16, the short-listed candidates have already overcome amazing odds to get this far”, said Simon Noble, spokesperson for PinnacleSports.com.

“Punters at PinnacleSports.com now have the considerably easier task of picking just one, and will no doubt be studying each applicant’s personal videos for clues - or for the more cynical - select who they think is the best ‘marketing fit’ for Tourism Queensland”.

The short-listed candidates will undergo a three day selection process from May 3rd on the Great Barrier Reef. The lucky winner will be announced on the 6th May 2009, ensuring punters who correctly predicted the winner at PinnacleSports.com, a tidy profit.

Full Odds (*All Subject to change):
Clare Wang (Taiwan): 3.500*    Mieko (Japan):16.00*
James (Australia) :5.00*            George (Ireland) :21.00*
Erik (Canada) :11.00*                 Yi (China) :21.00*
Cali (USA) :11.00*                       Anjaan (India) :26.00*
Ben (France) :13.00*                  Magali (Netherlands) :34.00*
Hailey (Australia) :13.00*           Ben (England) :34.00*
Clarke (New Zealand):16.00*   Greg (Singapore):41.00*
Juweon (Korea) :16.00*             Mirjam (Germany) :41.00*