Oprah and Gayle visit Hamilton Island

Photo: George Burns/Harpo Studios

Oprah began her once-in-a-lifetime Australian adventure on Hamilton Island, the largest inhabited island in the Whitsundays, a group of islands located off the coast of Queensland.

Before surprising a group of 92 Ultimate Viewers, Oprah and Gayle set off on their first road trip Down Under. What did Gayle want to do first? Hold a koala bear!
This baby koala is 6 months old.

At the Hamilton Island Wildlife Sanctuary, Oprah and Gayle snuggle with Elvis and Phoebe, two fuzzy, friendly koalas, and witness a rare sight—a 6-month-old "joey" that recently emerged from her mother's pouch. "When they're first born, they're the size of a jelly bean," says Rebecca, a keeper at the wildlife park. "She's done quite a bit of growing."

Watch Oprah and Gayle's unforgettable koala encounter. Watch  
Oprah arrives at a beach barbecue at Whitehaven Beach

After a helicopter ride over the Great Barrier Reef, Oprah surprises some The Oprah Show Ultimate Viewers at a lavish beach barbecue—or, as the locals famously call it, a "barbie"—at Whitehaven Beach, a place famous for its bright white silica sand.
Beach barbecue dinner

Photo: George Burns/Harpo Studios

What does it take to feed Oprah, Gayle and 92 Ultimate Viewers on an island where there's no electricity or running water? More than a thousand pounds of fresh seafood, a metric ton of ice and...
Curtis Stone prepares the barbecue.

Photo: George Burns/Harpo Studios

Superstar Australian chef Curtis Stone!
The Ten Tenors

Photo: George Burns/Harpo Studios

Oprah waltzes into the party as Australia's world-famous Ten Tenors sing "Waltzing Matilda"—their homeland's unofficial anthem.
Oprah and Curtis Stone drink Havo-O Cocktails.

Photo: George Burns/Harpo Studios

Cheers! To get the party going, Oprah starts with a HAV-O Cocktail. This specialty drink was named for the barbecue's location, Whitehaven Beach, and its surprise guest, Oprah. 

Get the recipe for the HAV-O Cocktail
The food arrives.

Photo: George Burns/Harpo Studios

Curtis's seafood feast comes right from the ocean—hand-delivered by a few Australian blokes! "We love a good presentation," Oprah says.

Try some of the recipes from Curtis' barbecue menu: Curtis's Cocktail Sauce, Grilled Sweet Corn, Chilled Oysters on the Half Shell with Watermelon Mignonette, Beef Skewers with Yakitori Marinade and Chicken Skewers with Hoisin Ginger Marinade. 

From Vegemite to vanilla slice—discover more of Australia's favorite foods. 
Oprah throws a shrimp on the barbie.

When in Rome...! Curtis shows Oprah how to throw her first "shrimp on the barbie."
Published 01/18/2011