Crikey a trip to the zoo

"Crikey means gee whizz, wow!" 

Steve Irwin

Before we even set foot on the largest island in the world, we had promised the kids a trip to Australia Zoo.  So early one morning we made arrangements to be picked up by the shuttle bus.  Once aboard the coach, we settled into watching several DVD episodes of Steve Irwin wrangling wildlife, while we were transported down the coast to Beerwah, his hometown.  

"Where I live if someone gives you a hug it's from the heart."

Steve Irwin

Heading inland, I stared through the windows which were glazed with a fine drizzle and imagined Steve Irwin growing up in these hinterlands thick with eucalyptus.  Within less than an hour of animal wrangling and a hundred 'Crikey's', I was already slightly irritated with Steve's over exuberance.  It didn't seem right to be rolling my eyes at the dead, but his wildlife euphoria had irritated me when he was alive so I would be hypocritical to feign idolization in death.  However, I have to admit this larger than life wildlife crusader had done wonders for public appreciation of crocs and snakes.  How or more interestingly why, had this man made it his life works to change the world's negative opinion of some of the planet's deadliest creatures.

"The first crocodile I ever caught was at nine years of age, 

and it was a rescue."

Steve Irwin

Stephen Robert Irwin was born in 1962 and by the age of six he had caught his first venomous creature, a common brown snake.  

"Since I was a boy, from this house, I was out rescuing crocodiles and snakes. My mum and dad were very passionate about that and, I was lucky enough to go along."

Steve Irwin

His folks opened the Reptile and Fauna Park in Beerwah in 1970 and Steve was helping his father Bob catch problem crocs hanging around boat ramps.  By the 1980's he was in remote North Queensland catching crocs as part of a wildlife management program.  

"My dad taught me from my youngest childhood memories through these connections with Aboriginal and tribal people that you must always protect people's sacred status,"

Steve Irwin 

I was looking for Aboriginal Dreamtime connections in everything and I knew the crocodile would provide many stories.  One of the legends was about Min-na-wee, she was a girl who liked to cause trouble and her face was so hard and scaly you could see the hatred.  When it was time to become a bride, Min-na-wee was not chosen and her hatred grew.  She caused so much trouble the elders punished her by rolling her over and over in the dust.  She ran to the edge of the ocean and summoned the evil spirits to change her to a vicious creature so she could attack her tribe.  She was turned into a large crocodile and slipped into the muddy waters to wait.  When she saw one of the tribesmen who had punished her she grabbed him and rolled him over and over in revenge.  Min-na-wee's spirit lives on in the crocodiles and to this day they still roll their prey.   

"I have no fear of losing my life - if I have to save a koala or a crocodile or a kangaroo or a snake, mate, I will save it."

Steve Irwin

The coach dropped us off opposite the entrance kiosks and the khaki clad staff members were ever so happy to have us part with our dollars.  This slick Coca Cola sponsored gateway to Australia Zoo was a massive metamorphosis from the 'Queensland Reptile and Fauna Park' which Steve had taken over running from his parents.  Steve and his best mate Wes Mannion, had cared for the wildlife and maintained the grounds.  I fully expected to see Australian creatures and spent some time debating over the cutest koala.  However, scanning over the park map I realized the Zoo had grown into much more than an indigenous wildlife experience.

"When I talk to the camera, mate, it's not like I'm talking to the camera, I'm talking to you because I want to whip you around and plunk you right there with me."

Steve Irwin

Terri walked into the park and into Steve's life and they were married in 1992.  They chose to film a wildlife documentary instead of a honeymoon and the Crocodile Hunter was launched.  The park was re-named Australia Zoo in 1998.  Walking through the park it was easy to see the high level of care for each animal and its environment.  We arrived at the tortoises just as a safari suited wildlife warrior explained through a microphone headset  about these aged creatures.  

"Try to be like the turtle - at ease in your own shell."
Bill Copeland

Unfortunately we were a few years too late to meet the 176 year old tortoise Harriet.  Long reputed to be one of the three tortoises taken from the Galapagos by Charles Darwin in 1835, Harriet would have been 5 years old and the size of a dinner plate when she was taken to the UK.  She moved to Brisbane Botanic Gardens in the mid 1800's and was bought by the Irwins in 1987.  While DNA throws aspersions on these origins, her longevity was irrefutable until she died of heart failure.  

“We called him Tortoise because he taught us.”

 Lewis Carroll 

Despite her long life Harriet was not the worlds oldest living creature.  The record belongs to Tui Malila, a radiated tortoise from Madagascar, who travelled with Captain Cook and lived 188 years.

"Yeah, I think it's an absolute disaster that Australia, the government, allowed kangaroo culling."
Steve Irwin

While creeping our way towards the tame kangaroos in the fenced paddock, Jazz and I became more than a little nervous to step forward and pet the furry critters. Their pelts were incredibly soft, and the animals were very docile but I think the roos were used to getting a few pellets in return for hanging out with humans.

"There's a lot of research behind the scenes that you don't get to see, but I have an instinct that my dad nurtured from when I was born. I was very lucky then." Steve Irwin

Wandering on, we encountered all manner of birds, from the huge broglas and storks to the tiny exotic doves.  I was starting to comprehend how each creature's environment had been created with a great deal of care and research.  Every space and enclosure was clean and well maintained.  Although the animal fodder was certainly better than the fast food options we were face with in the open sided cafeteria, where the wild ibis were chased away from scavenger scraps.

"If I were a cassowary On the plains of Timbuctoo, I would eat a missionary, Cassock, band, and hymn-book too."

Samuel Wilberforce

"should be cooked with a stone in the pot: 

when the stone is ready to eat so is the Cassowary" 

John Vader

These prehistoric looking birds have always fascinated me, smaller than emus they are much more dangerous.  Although shy, when provoked the three toed claws can be used to attack and kick animals and humans.  They can jump high, run fast and swim well, in some parts of Northeastern Queensland rakes are carried by humans to ward off attack.

"This is the land of dreamings, 

a land of wide horizons and secret places." 

Hetti Perkins

The creatures of Australia kept getting weirder and weirder and the Dreamtime stories seem the best way to understand the diversity of evolution.  The Aboriginals believe the earth was empty, flat and grey until the Dreamtime when giant creatures rose.  While digging and crawling in the dark for food and water they created huge ravines and rivers.  The Wombat was so tired of people bumping into him he dug himself and burrow a learnt to sleep for long periods.

"I believe that education is all about being excited about something. Seeing passion and enthusiasm helps push an educational message."
Steve Irwin

The Tasmanian Devil was perhaps the strangest thing we saw all day as he ran repetitively around and around his enclosure.  This  is the biggest carnivorous marsupial in the world, sporting a large head and neck which generates one of the strongest bites per body unit of any mammal land predator.  Sadly the species is endangered and the only wild population left in Tasmania has been decimated by devil facial tumor disease, which is a fatal transmissible cancer.  I was starting to understand of Steve Irwin's passion for conservation and saving species from extinction.

"Take the crocodile, for example, my favorite animal. 

There are 23 species. 

Seventeen of those species are rare or endangered. 

They're on the way out, no matter what anyone does or says"

Steve Irwin

The kids went ahead to reserve our seats at the main event - the crocodile show.  With big screens and music blaring the presentation had a professional theatrical flare.  With all the big screen imagery it was difficult to believe the Australian Icon of Steve Irwin really was gone.  I expected him to ride in on his motorbike at any moment.

"My belief is that what comes across on the television is a capture of my enthusiasm and my passion for wildlife."
Steve Irwin

Each young wildlife warrior ran into the arena with birds or reptiles and a loud message of conservation.  The references to Steve were reverent and the essence of the message was that his spirit of conservation lives on through his family, zoo and wildlife conservation.  I was coming to the conclusion that the Steve I had seen in front of the camera had been the same man off screen.  The enthusiasm wasn't an act, it was who he was.  His exuberance still infected the behaviour of all the Austrlaia Zoo staff. 

"I'm a proud Australian, a very, very proud Australian."

Steve Irwin

After the show, we meandered through the corridors below the stadium which have been dedicated to display all the gifts and outpouring of messages from the world.  The reaction of Steve Irwin's passing affected millions and the pictures of his children and widow mixed in with images of the man himself was a poignant reminder of his loss.  The sadness pervaded my thoughts as I imagined his children without a father.  Terri, Bindi and Bob however, seem to be positive in focusing on the message of conservation for not only the unique indigenous creatures of Australia but indeed the world.  

"the cameras follow me around and capture exactly what I've been doing since I was a boy. Only now we have a team of, you know, like 73 of us, and it's gone beyond that."

Steve Irwin

In July 2006 Steve set out a ten year business plan, unfortunately he was dead 2 months later.  His vision was carried on by Terri who determinedly pushed it into a 5 year plan.  The Zoo developed an Asia and Africa section and the family are carrying on the tradition of television shows and live performances.  The tigers especially seem to have been a roaring success.

Since Steve's death, it appears the economic downturn has created financial problems for the zoo, with reductions in staff numbers and potential sale of land and assets.  Family drama has also been downplayed when Steve's father Bob walked away from the Zoo.  

Regardless, the show must go on and we waited patiently in the rain for the start of the tiger presentation.  We were not disappointed and I made my way to the exits with a very different attitude towards Steve Irwin the man, the  wildlife warrior, crocodile hunter, son, husband and father.  This man had not used the animals as a way to gain fame, he used his celebrity to further his dreams of conservation and wildlife awareness.  

Whatever the future brings for the Irwins and Australia Zoo the misty day reflected the loss felt not only by Australia but by all the planet.  However, the message of conservation each visitor takes away with them gives fresh hope for the protection of the planet.  By Crikey, the spirit and the message of the man lives on.

"waste not fresh tears over old griefs" 

Euripides