The Crocodile Hunter xx
Is it just me or is everyone just stunned this morning?
I was lucky enough to meet Steve Irwin, but I didn’t feel like I knew him any more than you probably did.
He was a Sunshine Coast boy. He could have been your big brother, he could have been your own son.
Everyone who knew him well will tell you that Steve never changed.
Despite the world wide fame, he was the same erratic, passionate, put your money where your mouth is bloke he always was.
For those who don’t know, I’m a radio announcer on the Sunshine Coast.
Sometimes we would broadcast from the zoo, and I loved being there in the really early morning, when it was still pretty dark. Just as we’d be setting up and getting ready to go to air, there would be Steve, zooming around on a motor bike. Building stuff, moving animals, organising feeds, only ever stopping long enough to say G’day and grab a sausage like any other zoo worker.
You couldn’t always guarantee you could drag him away from what he was doing to speak on the air, but when he did, it was golden. Some of my favourite radio memories involve Steve Irwin.
Like every cynic from the southern states…I wasn’t sure about Steve Irwin when I first got a look at him on tv. I was proud of him, he was already huge in the US by the time I saw my first episode of the crocodile hunter….but like I said, he was probably a little too much like my brother for me to not cringe a little bit…
Then I moved to the Sunshine Coast and I was an immediate convert. Steve and Terri put there money where their mouth is.
The zoo speaks for itself, obviously. A 40 million dollar gift it is to the Sunshine Coast. More than 300 employees and all the tourism promotion that money and fame can buy…
The million dollar wildlife hospital which makes a difference every day. The huge parcels of land Steve has bought in central Queensland to repatriate wildlife.
I even heard once that Steve and Terri were single-handedly funding the campaign to save the Galapagos turtle. Sure, he was making millions, but the money was only good for one thing…protecting animals.
The Queensland RSPCA today called Steve Irwin a modern day Noah.
But even more than that, he was a husband and a father. Terri, Bindi and Robert will never be in any doubt about how strong Steve’s love is for them. They’re lucky like that, a million photos, quotes and pieces of film showing how much he adores them. But it’s not enough. It’s not the real deal is it? You’re not supposed to leave your kids behind…not like this anyway…
I was lucky enough to meet Steve Irwin, but I didn’t feel like I knew him any more than you probably did.
He was a Sunshine Coast boy. He could have been your big brother, he could have been your own son.
Everyone who knew him well will tell you that Steve never changed.
Despite the world wide fame, he was the same erratic, passionate, put your money where your mouth is bloke he always was.
For those who don’t know, I’m a radio announcer on the Sunshine Coast.
Sometimes we would broadcast from the zoo, and I loved being there in the really early morning, when it was still pretty dark. Just as we’d be setting up and getting ready to go to air, there would be Steve, zooming around on a motor bike. Building stuff, moving animals, organising feeds, only ever stopping long enough to say G’day and grab a sausage like any other zoo worker.
You couldn’t always guarantee you could drag him away from what he was doing to speak on the air, but when he did, it was golden. Some of my favourite radio memories involve Steve Irwin.
Like every cynic from the southern states…I wasn’t sure about Steve Irwin when I first got a look at him on tv. I was proud of him, he was already huge in the US by the time I saw my first episode of the crocodile hunter….but like I said, he was probably a little too much like my brother for me to not cringe a little bit…
Then I moved to the Sunshine Coast and I was an immediate convert. Steve and Terri put there money where their mouth is.
The zoo speaks for itself, obviously. A 40 million dollar gift it is to the Sunshine Coast. More than 300 employees and all the tourism promotion that money and fame can buy…
The million dollar wildlife hospital which makes a difference every day. The huge parcels of land Steve has bought in central Queensland to repatriate wildlife.
I even heard once that Steve and Terri were single-handedly funding the campaign to save the Galapagos turtle. Sure, he was making millions, but the money was only good for one thing…protecting animals.
The Queensland RSPCA today called Steve Irwin a modern day Noah.
But even more than that, he was a husband and a father. Terri, Bindi and Robert will never be in any doubt about how strong Steve’s love is for them. They’re lucky like that, a million photos, quotes and pieces of film showing how much he adores them. But it’s not enough. It’s not the real deal is it? You’re not supposed to leave your kids behind…not like this anyway…
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home