Talk show queen Oprah Winfrey takes on Mount Lofty’s Waterfall Gully track and indulges on a Tim Tam slam
The world’s most famous talk show host has conquered one of SA’s most scenic walks and mastered an iconic Australian ritual during a busy Saturday in Adelaide. See the videos and photos.
Talk show queen Oprah Winfrey conquered one of the state’s most scenic walks and mastered an iconic Australian ritual during a busy Saturday in Adelaide.
The global megastar and her entourage tackled Mount Lofty’s popular Waterfall Gully track in the morning, setting their sights on going “all the way up”.
As Winfrey stepped out of her car, hikers immediately recognised the US media personality, who is in town for a show at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre on Saturday night.
The lucky fans requested selfies as they chatted with Winfrey, also offering recommendations as to what else she should see in Adelaide.
“Bunch of things we’re gonna do … we’re gonna go (to) wineries,” she said.
Winfrey set off to walk to the Mount Lofty Summit around 8.15am and when she returned around 1pm, she admitted it wasn’t exactly a walk in the park for her.
“Well I didn’t find (the hike) to be moderate, I found it pretty hard,” she told The Advertiser. “Everybody kept telling me this is mild to moderate (but) I think there are some places that are hard. Of course the view was worth it. I mean, the whole experience was worth it and to get to the top was fantastic.”
Winfrey teased her friend Matt Reimann – an Adelaide health futurist – about deceiving her about the true difficulty of the walk.
“But listen, Matt kept saying to me that it’s mild, that it’s just around the bend and I was like okay if you don’t stop, I’m going to pop out your eyeball,” she said with a laugh.
Joining Winfrey on the hike was Adelaide Paralympic gold medallist Katrina Webb.
Ms Webb said they were fortunate to experience “fabulous weather”, and see kangaroos, koalas, cockatoos and more. She added it was a wonderful opportunity to connect to South Australia’s natural environment.
Winfrey documented the hike with a video posted on social media, bringing along fan Sylvia, who accompanies her journey up the summit.
“I think if you’ve done Mount Everest, you might be able to do this today,” Winfrey tells Sylvia.
Clad in a navy cowboy hat, brown shirt, blue tights and clutching two trekking poles in hand, she charges on with huffs and puffs up the steep trail.
“This is the thing about a day hike, it eliminates brain fog … great for menopause symptoms, fantastic,” she said.
“Some people call it (the trail) moderate here, I call it hard.”
The playful party saunters around with ‘Eye of the Tiger’ blaring in their wake, and catching some lucky kangaroo sightings among the bushes.
As they finally reach atop the summit, Winfrey comments saying “Victory is ours, it belongs to us today”.
Sylvia tells the talk show host that they reached just short of the five summits which wasn’t easy, which brings a smile to Winfrey’s face as she responds with “That’s all we wanted to hear, we wanted validation”.
A koala spotting on the way back down also “completes the visit” and “made the day” for Winfrey’s entourage.
“I feel like that was a hike, and that was such an Adelaide hike … it’s such a pure Australian hike,” she said.
“First of all, white cockatoo, three ridge-tailed eagles, two kangaroo sightings and a koala bear — I mean who could ask for more?”.
“I’ve seen some Radelaide!”
Winfrey stayed true to her word and spent the afternoon at award-winning Adelaide winery Penfolds Magill Estate.
While there, the former talk show host enjoyed a late lunch and was introduced to the Tim Tam Slam.
Reimann gave Winfrey and her entourage a lesson on how to eat, sip and indulge in a Tim Tam with a cup of coffee.
It didn’t take long for the US star to fall in love with the practice – and she vowed to introduce it to friends.
“Thank you to @matt_riemann for teaching me this Aussie tradition and @penfolds Magill Estate for an incredible meal!” she captioned an Instagram video.
“Now I have to bring the @timtam slam to America for @gayleking to try it.”
Have you spotted Oprah? Let us know.
On Friday, Winfrey posted to her social media, telling viewers she always makes it a mission to explore every city she visits.
She filmed the message while walking across the University Footbridge over the River Torrens with Mr Reimann.
“I went to see Barbara Walters before she passed and I was walking through her hallway and in her hallway were all these pictures of every place she’s been and all these incredible people she’s interviewed over the years,” Winfrey said.
“And I said ‘Wow! What an incredible career, what an incredible life!’
“And she said ‘I never experienced any of it’.
“And I made the decision then that I didn’t want to end up saying I didn’t experience it. So I try to give myself enough time – here in Adelaide – to experience it.”
Winfrey will perform at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre on Saturday from 8pm.
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Originally published as Talk show queen Oprah Winfrey takes on Mount Lofty’s Waterfall Gully track and indulges on a Tim Tam slam
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