North Queensland is attempting to lure Oprah Winfrey with all-expense paid use of a luxury yacht worth $10,000 a day and accommodation worth $4,000 a night, when Oprah visits Australia.

.According to a report by CAIRNS' Daniel Bateman, tourism operators in the state of Queensland are now competing against the biggest players in Australian tourism industry for an opportunity to have their business featured in The Oprah Winfrey Show which has an audience of millions of people around the world.

However, Oprah Winfrey's producers have yet to confirm the places will Oprah visit while in Australia. So tourism operators accross the country are outbidding each other with offers when the Hollywood talk show host comes to Australia with a TV audience of 300 people and 150 crew members on an eight-day tour of Australia in December this year. Winfrey's show is syndicated in 145 countries.

But will Oprah Winfrey take the bait from Australia tourism operators? After all, she had previously expressed interest in staying at an Australian home. (Read full report: Oprah Winfrey in Australia: Might 'Sleepover' Real Aussie House). Winfrey said in a statement that the idea of staying while she tour Australia at a "real Aussie's house" appeals to her. She certainly wasn't thinking of $4,000 a night accommodation.

Reportedly, one of Winfrey's Australia shows will be broadcast from the city of Cairns, (1700 km north of Brisbane) to feature the Great Barrier Reef. The two shows are expected to be recorded on the steps of Sydney's Opera House (if you are interested to join Oprah Winfrey's audience, read: Oprah in Australia: How to Avail of Lottery for Oprah's Australian Show Tickets)

Oprah's trip to Australia is part of the country's tourism promotion with funding from the federal and NSW government. The visit will be conducted in partnership with Qantas and is partly financed by Tourism Australia from its current marketing budget. The NSW government will shoulder between $1 million and $2 million.