According to TQ, the selection process was so hard that its team was unable by yesterday, after weeks of deliberation, to isolate only 10 short-listed applicants from a field of 47 still in the running for the $150,000 “islands caretaker” job.

A spokeswoman said it had been decided after an intensive debate among the TQ selection panel to increase the short list to 15.

”We had so many fantastic applicants in the final 50 that we simply could not decide on a short list of 10,” she said.

A wildcard, Clare Wang from Taiwan has already been announed, bringing the final total of shortlisted candidates to 16.

The names of the short-listed candidates will be on the website www.islandreefjob.com.au today.

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