Australian taxpayers are footing the $2.3 million bill for Oprah's Ultimate Australian Adventure, the upcoming 10-day televised visit from Oprah Winfrey and 450 of her crew members and studio audience, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

Martin Ferguson, the country's tourism minister, gathered state and federal funding in what he dubbed "a major coup," as he believes the exposure from Winfrey's huge audience will serve as a major endorsement for the country's tourism industry, Breaking Celebrity News has learned.