Oprah in Australia: Oprah Winfrey, audience to tour the Twelve Apostles in Victoria
As part of their Ultimate Australian Adventure, Oprah Winfrey and her 300 Chicago audience will be flown to the Great Ocead Road to see the Twelves Apostles.
According to reports, nine helicopters have left Essendon Airport this morning to pick up Oprah and her lucky audience from Melbourne to be flown to the Great Ocean Road in Victoria. They will be touring Twelve Apostles which is only accessible by air.
The Twelve Apostles is a collection of eight miocene limestone rock stacks jutting above the waters in Port Campbell National Park, located between Princetown and Peterborough on the Great Ocean Road. Contrary to its name, the Twelve Apostles has only nine stacks. It is one of Victoria's major tourist features, with approxiamately two million tourist visting it annually.
Oprah's Chicago audience will also have lunch at Apollo Bay and they are also expected to vist a Yarra Valley winery tomorrow.
Meanwhile, the Hollywood top talkshow host will hold her sole public appearance in Federation Square where she is expected to meet with Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard.
Oprah's ongoing trip in Australia is part of the country's tourism promotion with funding from the federal and NSW government. Tourism Australia, Qantas Airways, Chevrolet, Motorola, American Express and Telstra are among the Oprah's Ultimate Australian Adventure sponsors and partners, with Channel Ten as its Australian television affiliate.
Oprah Winfrey's Australia visit has sparked a ticket frenzy among Australians, as 3000 people, chosen by online lottery tickets, will be part of her audience in a two-episode show at the Opera House. The eight-day trip trip to Australia and the two episodes are the first Oprah Winfrey episodes to be filmed outside Oprah's home country United States. The episode featuring Oprah's trip to Australia will also mark the start of the show's 25th and final season.