50 lucky people are now on a short list to become caretaker of a tropical Australian island — dubbed the “Best Job in the World.”

Officials with the tourism department of Australia’s Queensland state on Tuesday revealed the 50 finalists from a pool of nearly 35,000 applicants for the job – a 150,000 Australian dollar ($96,000) contract to relax on Hamilton Island in the Great Barrier Reef for six months while writing a blog to promote the area.

The finalists hail from 22 countries, including the United States, Germany, Greece and India. Applicants include an actor, a chef and a scientist.

The public can view their video applications on the job ad’s Web site and vote for a favorite.

The top vote-getter and 10 other people chosen by the tourism board will be flown to Hamilton Island for interviews.

The winner will be announced May 6, and the job begins July 1.

Queensland Tourism Minister Desley Boyle said staffers had a tough time sifting through the 34,684 entries and selecting the best of the best.

The job is part of a AU$1.7 million campaign to publicize the charms of northeastern Queensland state, and tourism officials say it has already generated more than AU$70 million worth of publicity for the region.

The public has until March 24 to vote for their favorite applicant.