CatoCooper13
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Steve Irwin may wrestle crocodiles for a living but he's also a doting father who cannot deny his daughter a chocolate treat.
Irwin, who has made his fame and fortune as "The Crocodile Hunter" says four-year-old Bindi Sue can get around him, even if a giant "salty" has no chance.
Speaking on ABC Television's Australian Story, Irwin said he treated his daughter as he would want to be treated himself.
"That's it, as simple as that ... you know, she wants to have chocolate, Mum's not looking ... here, have the whole block," Irwin said. "It works out ... she's not a chubby little fat chocolate freak kid."
Terri, his American-born wife, is expecting a baby brother for Bindi Sue in December.
Irwin said he got his passion for crocodiles from his father, Bob, who uprooted his family from their home in Melbourne and moved them to Beerwah on the Sunshine Coast in 1972 where they opened a reptile park.
"You know he'd had me out there jumping crocs from when I was nine years of age," Irwin said.
The young Steve later joined the East Coast Crocodile Management Program and began travelling to North Queensland to save many rogue or problem crocodiles which would have been killed by farmers.
But despite his cable television cult status overseas, Irwin said Australians still viewed him with some embarrassment.
"You know when I see what's happened all over the world, they see me as this great Aussie bloke," Irwin said.
"And yet back here in my own country, some people find me a little bit embarrassing.
"You know, there's this cringe factor ... because I'm coming out with `crikey' and `have a look at this little beauty'."
But Australians should get over their cultural cringe and appreciate their own unique environment and wildlife, instead of trying to promote cosmopolitan cities, beaches and cafe latte which could be found in so many other countries, he said.
"They haven't got kangaroos, they haven't koalas, they haven't got saltwater crocs, mate."
©AAP 2003
Irwin, who has made his fame and fortune as "The Crocodile Hunter" says four-year-old Bindi Sue can get around him, even if a giant "salty" has no chance.
Speaking on ABC Television's Australian Story, Irwin said he treated his daughter as he would want to be treated himself.
"That's it, as simple as that ... you know, she wants to have chocolate, Mum's not looking ... here, have the whole block," Irwin said. "It works out ... she's not a chubby little fat chocolate freak kid."
Terri, his American-born wife, is expecting a baby brother for Bindi Sue in December.
Irwin said he got his passion for crocodiles from his father, Bob, who uprooted his family from their home in Melbourne and moved them to Beerwah on the Sunshine Coast in 1972 where they opened a reptile park.
"You know he'd had me out there jumping crocs from when I was nine years of age," Irwin said.
The young Steve later joined the East Coast Crocodile Management Program and began travelling to North Queensland to save many rogue or problem crocodiles which would have been killed by farmers.
But despite his cable television cult status overseas, Irwin said Australians still viewed him with some embarrassment.
"You know when I see what's happened all over the world, they see me as this great Aussie bloke," Irwin said.
"And yet back here in my own country, some people find me a little bit embarrassing.
"You know, there's this cringe factor ... because I'm coming out with `crikey' and `have a look at this little beauty'."
But Australians should get over their cultural cringe and appreciate their own unique environment and wildlife, instead of trying to promote cosmopolitan cities, beaches and cafe latte which could be found in so many other countries, he said.
"They haven't got kangaroos, they haven't koalas, they haven't got saltwater crocs, mate."
©AAP 2003