Time to live out those The Light Between Oceans dreams—well, some of them, at least: The Telegraph reports that Australia's Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service has put out the call for caretaker of Maatsuyker Island, a 460-acre isle six miles off the south coast of Tasmania. Even better? Due to "safety reasons" at the remote location, couples are not only allowed, but encouraged.
In a Facebook post on December 11, the Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service notes that they are looking for "self-sufficient people that are healthy, have a proven ability to live and work in remote locations, and are able to carry out caretaking services including maintenance of grounds, buildings, and plant and equipment." Successful applicants will also be trained and paid to carry out daily weather observations for the Bureau of Meteorology—think determining visibility and identifying cloud types and heights. Volunteers are sought for periods of six months from either September to March or March to September.
Taking that whole off-the-grid thing to the next level, there is no television or Internet access, and only one small fan heater for warmth. The couple is also responsible for their own food, clothing, entertainment and bedding, and though there's a resupply trip at the three-month mark, they will be otherwise cut off from the mainland during this period. (Helicopter evacuations are possible in the event of an emergency.) Still, it's not all bad: Successful applicants will get to call a four-bedroom, one-bathroom 19th-century lighthouse keeper's house their home, and grow much of their food in the adjacent vegetable garden. Maatsuyker also has rich wildlife—look out for penguins, Australian and New Zealand fur seals, and the endangered northern soft-plumaged petrel—and is part of the Southwest National Park and the Tasmanian Wilderness UNESCO World Heritage Site. Sound idyllic? You'd better act fast: Applications, which can be found here, close on January 30. Couples interested in putting their relationship to the ultimate test should note that each person needs to submit a separate application.