by Jonny Black

Created on: January 30, 2007   Last Updated: May 09, 2007

For those that have been living on planet Mars for the past few years, Steve Irwin is the charismatic, passionate and hugely entertaining wildlife conservationist, whose "Crocodile Hunter" television series achieved him worldwide fame and not to mention a certain amount of notoriety.

The series shook the watching world as it watched on in amazement at his sometimes death-defying encounters with many of the world's most dangerous animals, especially those with his personal favourite, the (as we now know thanks to Steve) often much mis-understood crocodile.

The passion that he had, his love of the animal kingdom and his relentless pursuit of conservation was infectious. Anyone who saw any of his TV programs, could hardly forget him, sporting his dodgy blond mullet hairstyle and his trademark uniform of khaki short-sleeved shirt and shorts as he got up close and personal with some of Planet Earth's scariest creatures; his favourite catchphrase "Crikey!" becoming familiar to millions of households across the globe.

Sadly, a few short months ago, Steve was taken from us through the most bizarre of incidents, being pierced in the heart by a mother stingray protecting her young. A strange way for the legend to meet his maker, especially considering the dangerous situations he had previously put himself in. It was the first reported human death by stingray recorded in several decades.

His death sent shockwaves across the world and the loss was felt no greater than right here in this part of Australia, known as The Sunshine Coast, where he was born and raised and which is home to his Australia Zoo, located less than an hour north of Brisbane, along the Glass House Mountains Tourist Drive in Beerwah.

Having spoken to a few people from this region, I can only compare his death and the subsequent loss felt with the reaction back home in Northern Ireland to the passing away of the late, great George Best.

According to a friend of mine, a photographer with the local press who was asked to cover events following his death, the region has never witnessed anything like the public outpouring of grief as the tragic news broke out.

Right here in Mooloolaba where I type these words, just a few minutes away at Alexandra Headland on the day of the funeral, hundreds of surfers from the region paid a special tribute to the Crocodile Hunter, himself an avid surfer, at a special memorial service.

Forming a huge circle off the beach to remember him, floral tributes were placed in the water.

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