Sydney - Spare a thought for Germany's Mirjam Novak, who last month came so close to winning the "best job in the world" as the semi-idle caretaker of a paradise island in Australia's Great Barrier Reef. Unlucky Novak was not back in the heavy industry town of Neunkirchen on Thursday but living it up in the swish Queensland resort town of Noosa.
Along with the other 15 contestants beaten by Britain's Ben Southall, Novak's consolation prize is an extended, all-expenses-paid holiday that includes swimming with dolphins, horseback-riding on the beach and dining in top-shelf restaurants.
Novak has the consolation of knowing she finished ahead of 34,000 others who entered a job-search competition that has been acclaimed as the world's most successful marketing campaign.
Southall, meanwhile, is hard at it on his first full day as caretaker on Hamilton Island. He gets a six-figure pay-packet for six months, singing in cyberspace about the wonders of the reef.
"All the publicity has been great, but now it's about communicating with people who really will want to come to Queensland for a holiday," the 34-year-old said.
His employer, Tourism Queensland, insists it is happy with its choice of publicist despite Southall moaning about being flown from Britain in economy class, where all the ordinary holidaymakers sit.
It wasn't his first indiscretion.
The former charity fundraiser caused ructions last month when he told British reporters that he would miss long summer days and roast beef dinners.
"The island may boast a tropical climate, but it gets dark at 8 pm," he said.
As for the traditional roast beef and Yorkshire pudding that his mum makes, he said: "It'll be far too hot to cook anything like that."
Tourism Queensland spokeswoman Danielle Koopman expressed "every confidence that Ben is the best person for the best job - he's adventurous, outgoing and a genuine person who is able to communicate well."
