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Steve Irwin
Sep. 4th, 2006 10:00 pmI know some people think he was a dickhead-idiot-or generally not their cup of tea. He had a tendancy to act/speak first and think later. And sometimes his portrayal of Australia wasn't as refined as we thought we were.
But the death of Steve Irwin is a huge loss to Australia, Queensland and Beerwah.
When my family first moved to the area, there was no Australia Zoo. Then, it was the Queensland Reptile and Fauna Park, run by Steve's parents. It was two years before Steve would even film his first documentary, and Beerwah was a one street town, with no High School, no swimming pool, and a teeny, tiny train station.
Today Beerwah is booming, a new regional centre, and Australia Zoo has played a large part in that. Steve made sure that the locals were looked after - a number of parents from dancing have worked at the zoo - and the whole area profited.
Matt and I visited the zoo just a few months ago. It's amazing - everyone who worked there had so much pride in the place, and that kind of attitude can only come from the top. I'm sure the zoo will continue to grow - Steve's family and friends will make sure of that - but I'm not sure it will ever quite be the same place without Steve's enthusiasm.
But the death of Steve Irwin is a huge loss to Australia, Queensland and Beerwah.
When my family first moved to the area, there was no Australia Zoo. Then, it was the Queensland Reptile and Fauna Park, run by Steve's parents. It was two years before Steve would even film his first documentary, and Beerwah was a one street town, with no High School, no swimming pool, and a teeny, tiny train station.
Today Beerwah is booming, a new regional centre, and Australia Zoo has played a large part in that. Steve made sure that the locals were looked after - a number of parents from dancing have worked at the zoo - and the whole area profited.
Matt and I visited the zoo just a few months ago. It's amazing - everyone who worked there had so much pride in the place, and that kind of attitude can only come from the top. I'm sure the zoo will continue to grow - Steve's family and friends will make sure of that - but I'm not sure it will ever quite be the same place without Steve's enthusiasm.
