Dear Oprah

I understand you’re heading Down Under and bringing 300 of your biggest fans.

Your announcement, which unfolded as we slept, hit Australia’s shores Tuesday morning with a bang so loud one can only assume it reached the vast dusty spaces of this desolate island country. Your impending visit is providing hope for a struggling tourism industry and also providing a few giggles over your Aussie pronunciations – don’t worry, I get it too.

We have yet to hear the full list of destinations that you and your guests will visit, but I can only presume you will remain predominately in the eastern portion of the country. I understand. Most overseas visitors with only a week or two to spare will visit Sydney, Melbourne, the Great Barrier Reef and possibly the Gold Coast, Ayres Rock, the Great Ocean Road, or even the Hunter Valley or Barossa Valley wine regions.

While Australia boasts some beautiful cities (the Sydney Harbour is unrivalled), the real highlight is its dramatic landscapes, quiet isolation, and the ancient history of the indigenous culture. It’s the opportunity to connect with nature and with landscapes, flora, and fauna found nowhere else on the planet, that make this country so special.

Since your Ultimate Australian Adventure may not head west, I wanted to share with you now, some of the wonderful things that Western Australia (WA) has to offer. The state of Western Australia covers 2.5 million square kilometers, or 1/3 of the continent - that’s about four times the size of Texas. Now consider that WA is home to only 2.2 million people (smaller than the city of Chicago), 1.7 million of which live in the Perth metropolitan area, making Perth one of the most isolated cities in the world.

The wide open spaces of WA are home to the Margaret River wine region in the southwest. Here you can indulge in local wines and olives, surf some of the world’s best waves, explore ancient caves, and watch Humpback Whales play in the Indian Ocean. Not far from here you’ll find the largest truffle producer in the Southern Hemisphere. All this makes the southwest of Australia a foodies delight.

Now head north up the coast past Perth, the sunniest capital city in Australia and home to the most beautiful city beaches, and continue along hundreds of kilometers of open road (trying not to hit any kangaroos along the way) and you’ll come across the Ningaloo Reef, a 260km fringing reef, one of the largest in the world. Hopefully, you enjoy camping because accommodations are sparse. Days are spent sunning on white sands, exploring the reef, swimming with Whale Sharks or catching your next meal.

Continue heading northwest along the coast and you’ll come to Broome, the pearling capital of the world. In the same region you’ll also find one of the largest diamond mines in the world, the Argyle Diamond mine, home to the rare pink diamond. Australia’s northwest is not only home to precious jewels, but also some amazing scenery including towering waterfalls, glorious gorges, and the beehive like sandstone domes called the Bungle Bungles. This region is everything you’d expect of the Australian outback.

I’ve only touched upon a few of WA’s unique assets. From what I hear, Tourism WA is fighting hard for WA to get a look in when you visit in December. And rightly so. We have much to offer but are often overlooked because, well, we’re so far away and have so few people. But, you like to root for the little guy, right? Oh, and don’t use the word “root” when you get here. I’ll explain later.

Please know, I’d make a wonderful host. After all, I am a former Chi-town lady. I understand the effect that endless sunshine and white sand beaches can have on a women plucked out of a frigid Chicago winter. Well, you know where to find me.