NEW ZEALAND (Commonwealth Union)_ As an animal conservationist, you make NZ$90,000 per year, commute by helicopter, and have a playground that is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It seems like the ideal position. However, despite the generous benefits, the New Zealand Department of Conservation has had trouble finding applicants for the position of biodiversity supervisor in Haast, on the South Island’s untamed, remote coast. Now, the quest is expanding internationally.
Te Whipounamu, a region of 26,000 square kilometres that includes mountain ranges, remote beaches, and native forests, was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Area in 1990. Its mountain ranges served as the inspiration for the White Mountains/Ered Nimrais in Peter Jackson’s version of The Lord of the Rings.
The chosen candidate will be responsible for guarding newly discovered Haast tokoeka kiwi populations, keeping an eye on the area’s fur seal and lizard numbers, managing predators, and keeping track of the songbird population. They will labour in isolated, difficult terrain, some of which can only be reached by helicopter or jetboat.
The location is described as a “really special spot to live, surrounded by mountains and ocean, with unlimited activities for an outdoor enthusiast” in the job posting, which lists a salary range of NZ$72,610 to $92,780. Only three persons, according to a Monday New Zealand Herald report, had inquired about the department’s call for applications, which had failed to pique anyone’s interest.
The job is perfect for folks who enjoy being outside and don’t mind spending some time by themselves, according to Wayne Costello, operations manager for DOC in South Westland. It is working in one of the most amazing natural settings the nation has to offer, he told Stuff. It truly is fantastic. However, not everyone will like it. Independent and able to work outside are requirements. If opera and the theatre fascinate you, it’s probably not for you.
The struggle to draw workers to the region’s natural splendour is not exclusive to the Department of Conservation. The regional development organisation for the west coast recently unveiled a new ad in which it declared it was “on a global hunt for new ‘coasters'”. According to Development West Coast CEO Heath Milne, “We’re looking for folks who are tired of the traffic, crowds, and commercialism of the city and would want a little more space.”
