Crikey! A saying we all know and love. Growing up Steve Irwin was a huge inspiration for me. He always fascinated me with what he did and the love he showed the animals. I always wanted to visit the Australia Zoo but never thought it was possible. One day, my roommate and I found a Greyhound bus and decided we were going to the zoo. Excitement is not even the word that I could describe how I felt.

I never imagined I would be happy to wake up at 4 a.m. but I indeed was stoked to be waking up that early. We arrived early so we had to chill outside for a while before the gates opened. It was not that busy of a day and there were already so many people there. Everyone was feeling the exact same thing, anxious to get inside and see what the Irwin family has done. 

The zoo is broken up into different names to separate the animals to what "area" they were from. Pictures of Steve were everywhere and it brought a smile to my face. When you walk into the zoo you are almost immediately greeted by this beautiful statue of the Irwin's holding a crocodile. The zoo was small but big. It's small because of what they have but is big because they give the animals so much room to move around. In the African Savannah part, the giraffes, zebras, rhinos, and more had so much room to move around. They truly care about their animals and it was more than I could expect.

We walked into Roo Heaven, and I can say the name says it all. You walk in and are immediately greeted by kangaroos. They just sat and allowed you to feed them. They may not look it, but they are so soft. I met one kangaroo who had a joey in their pouch and I had yet to see one. The space for them was so open that they were spread out. Some were in the shade, some were in the sun, and some were in a covered area near benches.There was an indoor room that was a mini-museum for Steve and the family. The dress Bindi was wearing on Dancing with the Stars was featured along with the trophy. The episode of Robert on Jimmy Fallon was playing. There were letters and scrapbooks from fans that were sent to the Irwins to show their love and respect and you could read some of the letters. It was beautiful.

The hardest part was saying goodbye. I was saying goodbye to something I have dreamed of since I was a child. We walked past the statue one more time; I smiled and said thank you to Steve, The Crocodile Hunter, for what he has done.