Most people need to save up before they get to travel and have fun. But for this lucky Californian, things are the other way round – he gets paid to do all that and more. Andrew Smith has been appointed the ‘Chief Funster’ of the State of New South Wales, Australia, a six-month job that will earn him a whopping $93,000. And all he has to do in exchange for the money is travel around NSW and do exciting things every day.
Smith landed the dream job after winning a contest as a part of an event to promote NSW as the ideal travel destination for young people. His challenge is to show travelers how exciting the Australian State can be by collecting no less than 802,000 moments of fun in six months. That’s one for every square kilometer of the State. So on a typical day, Smith can be found skydiving, hanging out with famous skateboarders, abseiling the spectacular mountains, and other such stuff.
Photo: Funster Experiment/Facebook
‘The Funster Experiment’ began in mid-December last year, and Smith has worked his way through over half the required number of fun moments so far. That’s 480,000 to be precise, including 187 high fives on the Sydney Harbor, sliding down a 91-meter typhoon waterslide, and mingling with 18,000 Elvii (Elvis impersonators) at the Parkes Elvis Festival.
“My schedule through to the end of June is jam-packed with great events and travel experiences,” said Smith. “I’m going to be climbing the Sydney Harbor Bridge, swimming with dolphins in Port Stevens, attending the world premiere of Strictly Ballroom: The Musical, and being part of the much anticipated Vivid Sydney Festival.” During his stint as Chief Funster, Smith also gets to drive around with The Stig, a popular character from the British motoring television show, Top Gear.
Photo: Funster Experiment/Facebook
According to Smith, “There’s so much to do and see in NSW, the challenge isn’t finding the fun, it’s fitting all the fun into just six months.”
But Destination NSW CEO Sandra Chipchase isn’t surprised at all the fun that Smith is having. “To reach the halfway point well ahead of schedule on his challenge to find 802,000 moments of fun in NSW is a great achievement,” she said. “But it’s no surprise given the huge volume and variety of amazing experiences on offer across the State.”
Photo: Funster Experiment/Facebook
“People from across the globe have engaged with the NSW Chief Funster via social media and as a result of seeing how much fun Andrew’s been having in Sydney and NSW so far, have shared their plans to follow his footsteps,” she added.
The photographs of Smith’s journey are a true testament to how much fun he’s really smiling. The young man is all smiles as he tries his hand at winemaking, gets a traditional shave and explores the Blue Mountains, among other activities. It sure does sound like the best job in the world!
Photo: Funster Experiment/Facebook
Source: Express.co.uk