Steve Irwin (crocodile hunter) dies..........

[Nutsy]

Irwin feared fast cars more than animals

Steve Irwin knew if he made one false move around dangerous animals he could end up dead, but he told New Idea he was more afraid of being killed in a car crash.

Irwin, 44, died last Monday after he was pierced in the chest by the barb of a stingray while filming a documentary off Port Douglas in far north Queensland.

In the interview, which was conducted last year but has never been published, Irwin said he often thought about the dangers of his work.

All the time, mate, like when I'm swimming with Tiger Sharks," Mr Irwin said.
"So yeah, one false move and I'm dead."
But having lost his mother in a car accident, fast cars were what he feared most.

"Driving here this car came screaming up to the traffic lights, hit the brakes and nearly creamed us," Mr Irwin said.

"And my mum was killed in a car crash, so although I can get killed by a wildlife, I do live in fear of fast cars."

Despite almost daily run-ins with dangerous creatures as The Crocodile Hunter, he said his closest brush with death was in a car crash.

"I had a head-on collision in 1996," Mr Irwin said.

"I was driving along doing the normal speed and this car had a blow-out and lost control.

"It hit me head-on and I was knocked out."

But even as his own life was under threat, his first thought was for his dog.

"When I came to, I saw my dog Sui, a Staffordshire bull-terrier cross, was knocked out," he said.

"I pulled her out and the cars caught fire.

"That's why I'm not worried about getting killed by animals."

Mr Irwin's full interview will be in New Idea on Monday.

 

[Nutsy]

Steve Irwin, seen here with fellow Aussie icon Dame Edna, soon became an international celebrity, thanks to his larger than life personality and daring exploits.

 

[Nutsy]

Surfers pay tribute to Steve Irwin

Hundreds of surfers have paid a special tribute to Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin at a memorial service on Queensland's Sunshine Coast.

The 44-year-old, died last Monday after he was pierced in the heart by a stingray's barb while filming a documentary off the far north Queensland coast.

The self-proclaimed wildlife warrior was an enthusiastic surfer and a tribute was held on Sunday at Alexandra Headlands beach.

About 250 surfers formed a huge circle off the beach to remember Irwin. Floral tributes were placed in the water.
Staff from the Irwin family's Australia Zoo took part in the commemoration held during the Juniper Surf classic being staged at Alexandra Headlands in support of cancer charity Camp Quality.
A public memorial service is planned for Mr Irwin, possibly at Brisbane's Suncorp Stadium within the next two weeks.

A private funeral for the environmentalist and media personality is believed to have been held over the weekend.

The family declined offers from the federal and state government of a state funeral, with Mr Irwin's father Robert saying his son was an "ordinary bloke".

 

[Nutsy]

Surfers invited to pay tribute

STEVE Irwin was world famous for his work with wildlife, but on the quiet side he was a great supporter of children with cancer and a “bloody good surfer”.
This weekend’s Camp Quality’s Juniper Surf Classic will pay tribute to his memory, with surfers invited to paddle out from Alexandra Headland to say goodbye in a manner Steve would appreciate – with a minute’s silence on the ocean.

Camp Quality’s Juniper Surf Classic event coordinator Vicki Brown said Steve was a strong supporter of Camp Quality, hosting tours and regularly giving prizes for fundraising.

“So many people are grieving Steve’s death, this will be a way to say goodbye where no one can see you cry,’’ Vicki said.





“The ocean is a great healing place and we would like to invite as many as possible to join us, to give him a great send off.’’
Vicki’s association with Steve goes way back before she started working with Camp Quality. She was a veterinary nurse in the Nicklin Way surgery Steve and Terri used before setting up Australia Zoo’s own animal hospital.

“I worked with Steve and Terri for many years and like the rest of the Sunshine Coast I am devastated by the news of his death,’’ Vicki said.

“Steve and Terri used to come in two to three times a week with some or other injured animal they wanted to fix. This was before they were really famous.”

“He was so passionate about his animals and always tried to give them a go.”

“ He would spare no expense in getting them fixed. He would put money upfront to save them."

Steve’s generosity didn’t just extend to animals and his daredevil spirit wasn’t limited to chasing crocodiles.

“Many people don’t know that he was also a great supporter of Camp Quality and a bloody good surfer,’’ Vicki said.

“Australia Zoo allowed free admission for all our Camp Quality camps when they were here on the Sunshine Coast. That was up to 180 of us at one time.”

“Steve received no recognition of his generosity. Camp Quality would like to say thanks and farewell as I believe the surfing community would too.”

Vicki is one of only a few people whoknew when Steve needed time out, he took off his trademark khakis, donned a wetsuit and found solace in the surf.

“Steve loved to surf and was very, very good at it,” Vicki said.

“It was something he did on the quiet, I think it was his time out. But he surfed like he did everything else, without fear.”

“You need to have confidence to take on a wave and Steve had it. Where many would paddle out of a big wave, he would be turning in to take it."

Since leaving the veterinary practice to join the family business and help out Camp Quality, Vicki has also started her own uniform making business and was involved in the design of Steve’s Wildlife Warrior t-shirts.

The third annual Juniper Surf Classic featuring pro-surfers from across Australia in the national surfing competition starts on Saturday. The tribute to Steve will take place during a whale blessing ceremony from 9am on Sunday.

 

[DisMN]

Steve Irwin, seen here with fellow Aussie icon Dame Edna, soon became an international celebrity, thanks to his larger than life personality and daring exploits.

That's a fabulous picture of two crazy uh.......fellas!!

Thankyou so much for sharing all the stuff you're finding. I have some close friends in Hervey Bay and a little north of there and they've all been just crushed about his death. He sure had a lot of fans, didn't he?

.

 

[Serena]

 

[WeirdTigger27]

I haven't finished reading this thread yet. I was going to post about Animal Planet's tribute to Steve Irwin, someone beat me to it.

I loved Steve, I will dearly miss him. I've always admired how much passion and enthusiam he had for the animals. I pray that someday I will find my life's work that I will have the same kind of hyper, bubbling enthusiam that he had. You will be so dearly missed Steve, no one can express how much.

 

[judi]

Another article on Steve..

AUSTRALIA Zoo officials shut up shop yesterday as speculation mounted about the private funeral details and final resting place of Steve Irwin.

Various family members and friends were spotted entering the zoo yesterday, but it was not clear last night whether Irwin had been buried or cremated during a farewell by those closest to him.
Zoo spokesman Peter Lang appeared about lunchtime only to say no comment would be made. The funeral house also was not commenting.

It is believed an announcement will be made today.

Some media reported the service was held at 2pm on Saturday at the Gregson & Weight funeral home in Caloundra. A white funeral van was then thought to have transported Irwin's body or ashes into the zoo where a service was held.

White marquees and plastic chairs had been set up near a pond behind the zoo site.

The speculation comes as the flow of public grief continues with thousands of park visitors forced to queue in the rain yesterday to either lay flowers or view tributes at the zoo entrance.

An array of tributes were held across the state yesterday.

On the Sunshine Coast, more than 250 surfers paddled out to form a circle of honour at Alexandra Headland Beach in an emotional tribute.

The surfers formed a circle around a group of Irwin's close friends and associates and then left bouquets of flowers in the water in a ceremony watched by more than 2000 people.

In Brisbane, the central bell tower at St John's Cathedral in the city rang for 47 minutes to honour Irwin.

Dean John Parkes said it was a rarely used tradition.

"It is an unusual event and to be doing this to honour such a remarkable person is indeed a privilege," he said.

Among the tributes laid at the scene was a poem penned by Brisbane wordsmith Rupert McCall.

 

[DiznEeyore]

We're watching the Animal Planet tribute marathon this afternoon. So wonderful ...

I was just on the phone with my best friend and she said one of the entertainment shows said there was speculation that Terri would take the children and move back to the U.S. I told her I find that VERY hard to believe -- Australia has been Terri's home for so many years now, and I can't imagine her leaving behind everything she and Steve built together .... I would just be shocked if she left Australia.

Did anyone else hear this and if so, any idea where the speculation came from?

 

[judi]

I haven't heard anything like that. I would be shocked if she did that. I don't think she will. Her heart and soul are in the zoo just like Steve's was. Her children will be taking over Australia Zoo when there older from the sound of it.

 

[Nutsy]

We're watching the Animal Planet tribute marathon this afternoon. So wonderful ...

I was just on the phone with my best friend and she said one of the entertainment shows said there was speculation that Terri would take the children and move back to the U.S. I told her I find that VERY hard to believe -- Australia has been Terri's home for so many years now, and I can't imagine her leaving behind everything she and Steve built together .... I would just be shocked if she left Australia.

Did anyone else hear this and if so, any idea where the speculation came from?

Terri will not be taking the children to the US. They will be remaining on at the Zoo.. that is their home. Steve's Dad is going to be helping out with the running of the Zoo until such time as the children are of an age where they are able to take an active role.

 

[Nutsy]

The Irwin family are expected to announce details of the memorial service for Steve and also some furhter details on Steve's final resting place and funeral.

 

[Nutsy]

Steve Irwin amid the terror hunters

THERE is an old doctrine that to secure yourself from the enemy, you must first know your enemy.

It's a military maxim that holds true for all of us interested in survival.
On this day, we remember the horrific 9/11 terrorist attacks on US soil five years ago. And here in Australia, another sudden death, that of Steve Irwin, is also fresh in the public consciousness.

Listening to Andrew Denton's repeated television interview with the Crocodile Hunter, I could not help but note a bitter irony.

Just as US authorities failed to understand their enemy in the lead up to 9/11, so, too, did Steve Irwin underestimate the danger confronting him.

The Crocodile Hunter was undoubtedly one of Australia's most popular and internationally famous citizens, but he made a fatal mistake in assessing danger.

As he explained to Denton, there were no animals on Earth that frightened him, or that he did not understand.

Apart perhaps from parrots, but he reckoned he was extremely scared about bringing children into a world inhabited by Islamist terrorists.

Sadly, while Steve Irwin was good at many things, risk analysis proved not to be one of them. Not that he was wrong to fear terrorism, which is a fear shared by most of us. But when the Grim Reaper came, it was in the form of a familiar creature whose behaviour he wrongly thought he could anticipate.

As fans mourn Irwin's passing, we might reflect on that which most endangers us and how best to secure ourselves from harm.

Terrorists choose to behave in a deliberately unpredictable fashion. While the rest of us were being scanned for box-cutters at airports, our foes were busy bombing trains and cooking up liquid explosives.

While we were on the lookout for suspicious looking gentlemen of Middle Eastern appearance, the terrorists were recruiting blue-eyed blokes with fair hair.

US terrorism expert Robert Pape wisely warns us to expect the unexpected.

Next year, security will be intense when APEC heads of government meet in Sydney. But how well will the rest of us be protected?

While attention is diverted to Sydney, Pape warns that Melbourne or another major city will become the most likely terrorist target. His advice makes sense, we must hope that it's heeded.

The Australian Government's popularity remains high post-9/11, possibly because we are yet to lose civilians to terrorism on home turf, or soldiers in combat in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Cast your minds offshore, though, and you will find growing public disquiet in the US and UK about how authorities are dealing with the threat of terrorism.

Last week a poll in The Times found a whopping 73 per cent of Brits believed their Government's response to terrorism had exposed them to greater risk.

Nor are US citizens feeling safe. Despite huge public spending on homeland security, a US university poll reveals that 62 per cent of Americans are worried that terrorists will strike them in the next couple of months.

When George W. Bush crowed mission accomplished after ousting Saddam Hussein from power, Americans applauded. Now, they are fretting that it's mission impossible.

Foremost in the interests of our survival is the need to ensure that our Terrorist Hunters are not embracing a flawed understanding of that which can kill us.

Just as our Crocodile Hunter did, with tragic consequences

 

[DiznEeyore]

Terri will not be taking the children to the US. They will be remaining on at the Zoo.. that is their home. Steve's Dad is going to be helping out with the running of the Zoo until such time as the children are of an age where they are able to take an active role.

That's what I thought. I couldn't imagine things any other way.

 

[popeyeohoh]

I hope the family will release some details of Steve's funeral. I was wishing to hear from Wes Mannion. I want to hear from the people who were closest to him. I hope that the memorial service will be shown live worldwide. There just is not enough information being released to the public.

 

[Nutsy]

Irwin service revealed today

THE family of Steve Irwin is expected to reveal today details of a public memorial service for the hugely popular conservationist after what was believed to be a small private funeral at the weekend.

It is believed the funeral was held on Saturday at Irwin's Australia Zoo on the Sunshine Coast, which is expected to be his final resting place.

Irwin, 44, died last Monday after he was pierced in the heart by a stingray's barb while filming a documentary off the far north Queensland coast.

Manager John Stainton said he had promised the Irwin family he would not publicly discuss the funeral.

A family member, probably Irwin's father, Bob, would reveal details today, he said.

Irwin's coffin and several formally dressed guests, including Mr Stainton and Mr Irwin, were seen entering Australia Zoo on the weekend.

Chairs had been set up at a secluded wooden rotunda surrounded by a creek. No one from Irwin's family or staff made a statement on funeral plans.

Last week, the family declined an offer of a state funeral.

A public memorial service could be held at Brisbane's Suncorp Stadium.

As a tribute to Irwin - a keen surfer and defender of the marine environment - hundreds of surfers commemorated his life yesterday with a "paddle out" on the Sunshine Coast.

Paul Regnault was among those in the water at Alexandra Headland on a chilly, overcast morning to honour Irwin, who surfed there.

"It was huge. I've never seen that many people at a paddle-out, even for a pro surfer," he said.

Joining the surfers were staff from Australia Zoo, and as the board riders took to the water a didgeridoo droned out from the headland.

Up to 500 surfers joined hands and formed a circle with Australia Zoo staff in the centre for a minute's silence before throwing wreaths and flowers and shouting what some on shore said sounded like "crikey".

In persistent rain, mourners and sightseers continued to visit a makeshift shrine to Irwin at the zoo. Thousand of bouquets were piled at the front gate and lines stretched more than 50m.

Memorial ... Steve Irwin's family is expected to reveal today details of a public service for the late conservationist.

 

[Nutsy]

NEWS FLASH!!

Memorial serivce to be held next Tuesday/Wednesday for Steve.. venue still to be confirmed.

Wes spoke and was extremely cut up.

They confirmed they held a private funeral service for Steve at the Zoo on Saturday afternoon around a campfire.

The Memorial service is to be a celebration of Steve's life not a time for mourning.

 

[lclark0621]

I was watching the Crocodile Hunter shows today on Animal Planet with DS. When the memorial "commercial" (it is not a commercial, but it was in the commercials) came on I chocked up. The "You'll be missed Mate. We'll take it from here" had my eyes fill with tears.

DS is 3 & we have not told him Steve died. I dont really want to introduce death to him yet (he will learn it soon enough, no need to rush it), since we have not lost a family member or pet yet in his lifetime. So he did not know why I was crying. He hugged me & said "It's ok Mommy.I sure love Steve alot to. He didn't get hurt. The animals love him."

I guess he thought I was scared Steve had gotten hurt on the show & he was trying to comfort me.

 

[Nutsy]

Wow! how on earth are you going to explain it to him if he happens to overhear it said.

Not judging you on what you feel is best, but wondering how, should he happen to overhear it mentioned, you will explain it to him.

I wish you luck and I do respect what you are doing... I agree with you that 3 is young, but this guy was such a public figure, not just an anybody.

 

[Nutsy]

Irwin memorial service set for next week

A public memorial service for Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin is expected to be held next week at Brisbane's Suncorp Stadium.

Mr Irwin, 44, died last Monday after he was pierced in the chest by a stingray's barb while filming a documentary off the far north Queensland coast.

A private funeral service was held for him at Australia Zoo on Saturday, his father Bob Irwin said.

His best mate and Australia Zoo staff member Wes Mannion said a memorial service would be held next Tuesday or Wednesday, with Suncorp Stadium a likely venue.

Mr Mannion said few details had been worked out about the memorial service but he hoped it would be fun.

"It's got to be exciting and fun because that's the sort of man he was - he went at 100mph," he said.

Bob Irwin said a weekend service had been held at Australia Zoo for his son around a campfire, the way he would have wanted it.

He said Steve had always loved "having a yarn" around the campfire.

"It was what he would have wanted and it put some closure to his life," Mr Irwin said.

Mr Irwin's friend and manager John Stainton said the memorial service would be a "celebration" and it was expected Steve's wife Terri and children Bindi and Bob would attend.