Robert Irwin on Life in Paradise: 'My Job Is to Show the World the Beauty of Home'

Robert Irwin grew up with tigers as neighbors and lemurs as alarm clocks—and he wouldn’t have it any other way. The wildlife advocate and television host, who was essentially raised at Australia Zoo on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, describes his childhood as both unusual and idyllic. “I spent 99 percent of my time outside,” he says. “The only time I was inside was when I had to sleep. I was a free-range kid.” Now, as the host of Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro, Irwin travels constantly, but his heart never strays far from the 700-acre sanctuary and the rugged landscape that shaped him.

Irwin’s enthusiasm for his hometown is infectious. He speaks with genuine excitement about the region’s diversity—volcanic mountains and temperate forests just minutes from world-class beaches. His top recommendations for visitors include Mooloolaba, where humpback whales and sea turtles glide offshore; Mary Cairncross Park, an ancient rainforest in the hinterlands filled with wallabies and miniature kangaroos called pademelons; and the Crocodile Hunter Lodge on zoo property, where wild kangaroos hop through botanical gardens and koalas perch in the trees. “My job is to share the beauty of where I live with the world,” he says. “I think it’s a place everybody should experience.”

When he’s not working, Irwin unwinds at a rocky point in Noosa called Hell’s Gates, watching the ocean roll in. For a romantic evening, he points to the tiny mountain towns near his home—cozy, anonymous, and full of hidden cafes. His ideal night out? A backyard campfire with a guitar. “Our idea of late is 9 p.m.,” he laughs. “It’s a little different from New York or London.” But his favorite view remains a sunset over Australia Zoo’s African Savannah, where giraffes and rhinos roam against the backdrop of the Glass House Mountains. “I sit out on Pride Rock—it looks just like The Lion King—and watch the animals after the zoo has shut,” he says. “Coming home feels like being wrapped up in a big hug.”