Finalists for Best Job in the World SA swim with sea lions at Port Lincoln

A TRIO of international travellers have become some of South Australia’s biggest spruikers after swimming with sea lions, holding a two-metre python and hugging a koala.

finalists swim

A TRIO of international travellers have become some of South Australia’s biggest spruikers after swimming with sea lions, holding a two-metre python and hugging a koala.

American blogger Nick Tilley, 33, Canadian adventurer Greg Snell, 27, and Taiwanese social media expert Hsin-Hsuan “CC” Hsieh, 25 have been in SA less than 48 hours and loving it.

The trio are competing to win the “Best Job in the World”, spending six months caring for SA wildlife. It includes working with sea lions, dolphins and koalas on Kangaroo Island and great white sharks on the Eyre Peninsula.

The lucky winner takes a whopping $100,000 salary package in a joint venture with the South Australian Tourism Commission and Tourism Australia.

Ms Hsieh said she felt like “the luckiest girl ever” after swimming with sea lions at Seal Cove, Port Lincoln.

“It’s an experience ... it’s going to change your life,” she said. “The sea lions swim just in front of you, they twist and turn and enjoy the water.”

In the state for just four days, the group is spending spare time blogging, tweeting and Instagramming to the world about their SA experience.

Best Jobs in Australia finalists swim with sea lions at Seal Cove at Hopkins Island, on the Eyre Peninsula. Finalist Greg Snell.

As the sea lions dipped and leapt out of the water yesterday, the finalists were mesmerised by the animals’ playful nature. Mr Snell said it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

“It’s the most interactive wildlife experience I’ve had in my life,” he said.

Mr Tilley agreed, saying it was “South Australia at its finest”.

But it’s not all fun and games, the finalists must undergo a series of challenges — including eating a 1kg oyster and holding a huge python — in order to win the top job.

It seems each of the three finalists seems to love Australia — and South Australia — just as much as the other, but Mr Tilley sums it up best.

“If they handed out resident visas at the border, I’d take one,” he said.

On Monday the group is off to Kangaroo Island where they will visit Flinders Chance National Park, Seal Bay Conservation Park and Hanson Bay Wildlife Sanctuary.

A winner will be announced in Sydney on Friday.