Tourism Whitsundays blames Telstra for lack of Blogs - Another Fake Job application uncovered?

Whitsundays Online

Update 15:19 1 Aug 2009
Ben Southall just 'tweeted' the world to advise he was in a black spot, but Telstra have just rectified it.

Telstra has been blamed by Tourism Whitsundays and Tourism Queensland, because of its "not great reception", and "poor mobile phone or internet access for the lack of daily blog posts" by Ben Southall, the winner of 'The World's Best Job'.

Ben recently took up residence on Hamilton Island on 1 July as winner of "The Best Job in the World', and up to a week ago he had only written 7 blogs. Media organizations had 'a bit of a go' at the lack of blogs from Ben with headlines from around the world including:
'Paradise job Ben Southall writes just 7 posts on blog' - Scottish Daily Record
'Isle Ben is a lazy blogger' - The Sun
'Best Job in World Winner Criticized over Tropical Island Blog' - Bloomberg

Ben uses Telstra Wireless for his internet access.

However, Director and Chairperson of Tourism Whitsundays, Lyn Greggson, has come out in Ben's defence (and rightly so) to say that Ben's blogging of only once every 3 days because: ". . . we all know there's not great reception out at Whitehaven Beach, so he can't very well be blogging from every single place he visits."

But hang on, isn't this TV advertisement below by yet another Director of Tourism Whitsundays, telling us that Telstra 3G wireless internet works everywhere in the Whitsundays?




So, one director for Tourism Whitsundays does a TV ad and says he can do all his business on the boat around the islands at tremendous internet speeds and reliability, but another Director (Chairperson) of Tourism Whitsundays says that the Telstra 3G coverage is poor . . . who can you believe?


Blaming other people and organizations for you own actions (or lack of) is a bit primitive. If you knew beforehand that there is bad reception for Telstra Wireless where Ben was going, then why didn't you organize alternatives? It's sort of like not planning for the monsoon, and then blaming the rain when it arrives.


Now, while researching for this story, we came across the same Director of Tourism Whitsundays in a video application for the Best Job in the World back in January. Is this another 'fake application' uncovered? There was disbelief when the QLD Govt found out the Ad agency involved in the 'promotion did a fake video application - now we find out a Director of Tourism Whitsundays has also made a video application.





Editors Note : The schedule Ben has been on has been pretty hectic and tight - the Tourism organizations have spent the past month introducing (promoting?) him to the rest of QLD. I know my patience would have been spent within 1 week doing Ben's gig. Hey Ben . . . if you need a break . . .
Disclaimer : The editor has in interest in a satellite communications company .