Oprah's Ultimate Whitsundays Itinerary
Oprah Winfery and her 300+ entourage visited the Whitsundays in December 2010, as the first stop on her Ultimate Australian Adventure. Hamilton Island played host to the group of very excited American travellers who accompanied Oprah on her "Down Under" visit.
Where did they stay? 
Oprah stayed at qualia, Hamilton Island's newest, private, luxury resort. Her entourage stayed at the Reef View Hotel.
What did they do on Hamilton Island?
Oprah's first Whitsundays experience was a buggy ride on Hamilton Island.
What did they see on Hamilton Island?
Oprah got to cuddle up to a koala called Elvis (now a bit of a celebrity himself, after his little brush with fame with Oprah) at the Hamilton Island Wildlife Park. You can have breakfast with the koalas here every morning, you can take a tour throughout the day and see all the incredible Australian animals that call the wildlife park home, including kangaroos, wombats and a crocodile, and you can have your photo taken with a koala.
The Great Barrier Reef
In Oprah's own words the Whitsundays is "literally in the heart of the Great Barrier Reef!" Taken on a scenic helicopter flight, Oprah saw one of the Whitsundays' most stunning natural icons, Heart Reef, a naturally formed, perfect heart-shaped reef in the "heart" of the Great Barrier Reef. It is best seen from the air in a helicopter or seaplane, and tours are available from Airlie Beach on the Whitsunday Coast and the island resorts.
Oprah's entourage were treated to a day at Reefworld thanks to Fantasea Adventure Cruising. Reefworld is a pontoon set on the outer Barrier Reef that provides a platform for a full day of snorkelling, scuba diving, glass bottom boat rides, semi-sub adventures and a waterslide. One of Oprah's viewers made the ultimate romantic gesture and made a unique underwater proposal to his girlfriend while scuba diving!
The Whitehaven Beach BBQ
Famous Australian chef Curtis Stone treated Oprah and her guests to a fabulous beach barbecue on the pure white sands of Whitehaven Beach. Guests were ferried to the national park island beach while Oprah made a surprise entrance by helicopter.
Where to next?
From Hamilton Island, Oprah flew via Cairns to Uluru (Ayers Rock) in the middle of Australia to continue her Australia Adventure.
More info
Check out Accommodation options for your own Whitsundays adventure. The beauty of the Whitsundays is, it doesn't matter where you stay, whether you stay on an island or on the Whitsunday Coast, you can see everything Oprah did, quite easily.
See more on Oprah's Ultimate Australian Adventure on oprah.com.