( CNN ) -- It was a tough job , but someone had to do it . 34-year-old Briton Ben Southall , winner of Queensland Tourist Board 's `` Best Job in the World '' competition has now completed his six-month stint looking after Hamilton Island on Australia 's Great Barrier Reef . Having to cope with turquoise waters , miles of white sandy beaches and more sunshine than most Brits see in a decade of summers must have given him sleepless nights ? Surprisingly , they did n't , but the job was more strenuous than at first it might appear . Southall points out that the competition advertised in the world 's press said the winner would have to `` feed the fish , clean the pool , deliver the mail and watch the whales . '' But during the interview process he says it became clear to him and other applicants that it was going to be a full-on job with lots of interviews and writing . `` Every day I 've gone to a new island and explored what 's on offer there . Then I 've sat down in the evenings and usually worked quite late putting videos and photos together and writing blogs . That 's the key part of it , '' Southall told CNN . And with 300 islands in his section of Great Barrier Reef he was clearly kept busy . But as he readily admits being paid nearly $ 140,000 to look after an island has been an amazing experience . `` I think I 've done more in these six months than I 've done in the previous 34 years of my life . To be able to do this sort of thing , in this location , and report on it ca n't really be classed as work , '' he said . But there was one moment of trouble in paradise shortly before Christmas . After enjoying a jet ski ride Southall joyfully leapt off the back and into the water only to be stung by a deadly Irukandji jellyfish . A fever rapidly engulfed him before doctors were able to ease his symptoms . `` For six hours I was pretty bad , '' he recalled . `` Next morning however , after I had my morphine , I came through the other side . '' So now that his work is done on the island , where does he intend to go on holiday ? `` It 's a difficult one that , '' he says , `` but the white Christmas that the UK enjoyed almost made me a bit jealous . '' Despite the allure of distant snow Southall says he will probably take a holiday in the southern hemisphere . `` I 've discovered a few parts of Queensland and a few places dotted along there that I would go back and relax on . '' He says the hardest part of leaving the island has been moving out of his $ 4 million villa . `` I lived on top of a Land Rover as I drove round Africa on a charity expedition in 2008 . So I went from living in a tent to living in this amazing house . Closing the door on the Blue Pearl [ the villa ] was probably the toughest bit . ''
Ben Southall talks to CNN about his job as caretaker of Hamilton Island in Australia 's Great Barrier Reef . 34-year-old Briton visiting neighboring islands daily and wrote daily blogs . Not all plain sailing for Brit who was stung by deadly jellyfish before Christmas .