Steve Irwin 1962 - 2006

I was saddened to hear of the death of Steve “The Crocodile Hunter” Irwin earlier today. He died doing something he loves and I’ll bet he wouldn’t have changed how he lived his life, even if he knew how it would end up.

Press reports are focusing on his contributions as an environmentalist; I want to point out that his contributions to Australia’s tourism are incalculable. Although I never visited his Australia Zoo near Brisbane, I always recommended it to my clients who traveled to the area. They always had a wonderful time and brought back great pictures and video that they shared with me. Those that actually got to meet Steve usually called it the highlight of their trip.

Although he won’t be there in the future, I’m sure his legend will grow and continue to inspire people to come to Australia and learn about its wildlife that he loved so much.