Monday, September 04, 2006

Isn't she a beaut....


I awoke this morning to some tragic news - Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin has been killed by a stingray whilst diving at the Great Barrier Reef.

Until this morning, Steve was the greatest living Australian, a title now held by Rolf Harris. I first remember seeing him on TV in the mid 90s, when he would grab crocodiles by their tails with only scant regard for his own safety. He was brillaintly parodied in South Park and even launched a questionable movie career.

Mrs Wife and I actually saw the great man in the flesh whilst travelling around the world a couple of years ago. We took a day trip to Steve's Australia Zoo at Beerwah,Queensland, where we expected to see plenty of crocodiles, but not the world-famous Crocodile Hunter himself. After a morning wandering around the vast park, we heard a commotion from one of the nearby pools. Rounding the corner, we were treated to the site of Steve standing on the banks of the crocodile's pond, explaining that you should never get this close to a croc, and never get between a croc and her eggs. Then, fully clothed, he dived into the pool and proceeded to thrash around, getting between the croc and her eggs in the process. As expected, the croc went crazy, and made a beeline for the hastily departing Steve.

It's not entirely unexpected that Steve was killed by a dangerous animal, given that he has spent his entire life antogonising them. Though normal concepts suggest we should pray that he rests in peace, surely he'd much rather rest in chaos, getting chased by an angry black bear which he has just poked in the eye.

"And now, if I grab him by the tail, that'll make him go REALLY mad." Genius.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

To be fair though, I think even he would admit he'd have been disappointed to have died from something like a heart attack!
God rest his soul!

Anonymous said...

This guy has now went from hero to zero...Such a poor effort to die die this way.

This is the way I thought the great man would have gone:

To go into a lions dens, wrestle a couple of lions...just survives that and says " NO DRAMA" he then falls gets bitten by a cobra on the leg again " NO DRAMA "....struggling to get to some help poor steve falls in a river full of crocs & Says " Struth, BIG FUCKING DRAMA "

NOW thats the way to go

But no steve has to get killed by a stingray...Poor dahm Poor

Groanin' Jock said...

I suppose he was a modern day Evel Knievel - people tuned in to watch his shows just in the hope that he would be killed, or at least maimed, for our entertainment. You have to admire that kind of dedication to a job....

Anonymous said...

A bit like working for the oban times?

Anonymous said...

Mr Jock,

Lets put poor steve to rest and go onto the next subject.

Maybe you could have a section where people name the topic and you need to speak about it?

Groanin' Jock said...

Hey KIRBF - feel free to suggest a topic any time....

Anonymous said...

Read the most strange but also very funny thing today.

Was about a woman in her 60's in Germany, her husband died and she decided to cut off his penis & put it in a lunchbox and went home...When questioned by the police she said " it was the best part about him, brought me so much pleasure " I was in stitches at this...

So Jock you think your missus will be doing the same with you & what you think the old one did with it?

Me and friends at work had a good discussion about this and come the conclusion that she may have still used it...Put in the freezer( well you know the rest )