He's a household name, no longer with us his legacy lives on. All over the World he was famous for his signature colour Khaki which isn't just a colour it's an attitude; a stand to do something positive in our World, and a passion to make a difference. Today we were visiting Australia Zoo... CRIKEY! - home to the Crocodile Hunter, a.k.a Steve Irwin, a hero of mine and a real top bloke.

The day started with Julia getting a good licking... from banjo the dog. Macie had let him into the room at 6.30am. I rolled over and buried myself under the sheets. I vaguely remember Ju asking Macie to leave the room but her powers of persuasion fell on deaf ears. I have now come to the conclusion that children make good alarms clocks. We had breakfast and packed our things. The weather was scorching outside - possibly the hottest it has been since we have been in Oz. We said our goodbyes to Matt and Camille. They had been great over the last few days and we really appreciated their hospitality. It was sad saying goodbye.

I was excited at the prospect of visiting Australia Zoo. I remember watching Steve Irwin on tv many years ago with my mates. You couldn't help but stop on his show 'The Crocodile Hunter' when flicking through the Sky channels. My mates and I would always laugh at his overboard enthusiasm, his really tight Khaki shorts and of course his catch phrase 'CRIKEY'.

We travelled down Steve Irwin Way and arrived at the Zoo in good time. Everywhere you looked you could see signs with Steve's face on either holding a crocodile or snake. The staff were all dressed in Khaki and welcomed us with a smile. Our first visit was to the Croc school. We saw Albert, Casper, Agro and Shaka who were just a few of the residents basking in the sun or half submerged in the water. Huge powerful beasts that looked as if they wouldn't have any moral issue at snapping you up if you were to wander to near the waters edge in the wilds.

The main attraction of the day was the Wildlife Warrior Show. We were entertained by passionate presenters who promised the wildest show on earth, with slithering, jaw snapping action from the zoo's snakes, free flight birds and world famous crocodiles. The highlight of the show was the bird display which looked like the battle of Britain as birds darted in and out of the crowds, squeaking and squawking. After the show we made our way to the reptile enclosure. We saw many venomous snakes. Some lay motionless and some moved around. Size didn't matter in the snake world. The smallest of the breeds was the Fierce snake which was also the most venomous.

The afternoon grew warmer as we puffed and sweated our way around the zoo. We saw many varieties of animals but none as loving as the Asian elephants. We watched as they took a dip in the water. At 4 tons the elephants displayed how agile they could be in a playful manor. At times in the heat we felt tempted to join the elephant in the water. That was up until he/she decided to poo in the water. Time was now running out, we moved on to the Tiger Temple show. We took in a magnificent display watching the keepers interact with the Tigers. It was amazing to see such a large animal jump and scramble so high up a tree. You wouldn't stand a chance in the wild.

Back in the reception area we took in more fluids. We felt slightly drained due to the heat. We stopped to look at a large Python behind glass which was situated under the stairs. To my amusement Ju informed me we could have our photo taken with it. I explained to Ju that the snake was way to big to be used in any tourist photo opportunity. Adamant Ju insisted this was the snake that was featured in the zoo guide for photos. I asked reception who were equally amused as me. The snake was 7m long and if moved by hand it took 6 men to move it. Ju smiled and we laughed. I asked Ju if she still wanted her photo taken with it.

It was a slightly emotional experience at times in the park. You could see Steve's passion and dream everywhere you went. It was like he was still there. There was a touching tribute wall with signed books, paintings from children and signed Khaki shirts. It was sad that he went so young with so much work still left to do. This wasn't just a zoo. He had worked tirelessly to protect endangered species in Australia and all over the World. It was lovely to see that his passion and vision was engrained in all the staff - hopefully we would be a little wiser and more enriched from our time at the zoo.

After the zoo we drove 3 hours south to Byron Bay. We made good progress. The evening was really hot and sticky. The town seemed to be full of campers with youngsters in there 20's hanging around. I had my suspicions that we would be feeling like middle aged farts by the end of the week. We attempted to watch a film. Tired, we fell asleep before the end. Ju was tossing and turning as usual, bless her she doesn't cope well in the heat. It didn't matter it was late, we were in no rush tomorrow.