Huge global interest in "the best job in the world" - earning good money for lazing on a paradise island - has crashed the Australian website where it is advertised, officials said yesterday.

"We've been inundated, with around 300,000 people visiting the site yesterday," said a spokeswoman for the Queensland state government, which is offering the six-month post of "island caretaker".

"The website crashed - in one hour alone 25,000 people were trying to visit - but we're working on it and it should be up and running again later today," Nicole McNaughton said.