Robert Irwin Won Season 34 Of Dancing With The Stars, 10 Years After His Big Sister Bindi Won
Newly crowned Dancing with the Stars champion Robert Irwin is changing course to focus on his “passion project” back home in Australia.
Robert and his professional partner Witney Carson won Season 34 of DWTS. Robert’s big sister, Bindi, won the show 10 years prior with Derek Hough.
Robert’s victory helped the Irwins make history, as they became the first celebrity sibling duo to win the show. The Season 34 finale was also the highest-rated since Bindi’s season finale in 2015.
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“To follow in those footsteps and to do the same [as Bindi] has meant everything to me,” Robert told PEOPLE after his win. “This has absolutely changed my life.”
Bindi, her husband Chandler, their daughter Grace, and Robert and Bindi’s mother, Terri, all temporarily moved from Australia to support Robert during his run on DWTS.
Most of the Irwins returned home shortly after the DWTS finale. Bindi shared a sweet video of Grace reuniting with her darling friend Igloo, a tortoise at Australia Zoo.
Robert had some traveling to do before he could finally go home. He went to New York City to do press for DWTS, then flew to South Africa to film for another show.
Robert’s Face Lights Up With Joy As He Talks About His “Passion Project,” The Crocodile Hunter Lodge
Now that DWTS is over, Robert is excited to pour his energy back into his big “passion project” at Australia Zoo.
On December 2 (the day after his 22nd birthday), Robert uploaded a video about the Crocodile Hunter Lodge at Australia Zoo. Robert’s face lit up with joy as he talked about the Lodge, which opened to guests in 2022.
“It has been quite the passion project that we’ve been working on,” Robert said. He views the Lodge as the perfect way “to really properly welcome everyone to [their] home” in Australia.
Robert mentioned how “cool” it has been to see people visiting Australia Zoo since he joined the cast of DWTS this year. He hopes that travelers will find the Crocodile Hunter Lodge a warm and welcoming place to stay during their visit.
“Honestly, we wanted to create something so that everybody could have a proper home away from home when you visit us,” he said.
The Lodge is something that Robert’s late father, Steve Irwin, had envisioned before his passing in 2006.
“Steve had a business plan mapped out for Australia Zoo, which included accommodation where guests could experience our beautiful wildlife,” Terri once told PEOPLE. She added, “At the Crocodile Hunter Lodge, our resident koalas, kangaroos, emus, and echidna enjoy their spectacular habitats, and native wildlife have also made the spacious lodge gardens their home. It’s the perfect spot for nature lovers to relax and reconnect.”
Now, Robert, Terri, and Bindi are carrying out Steve’s dream through the Crocodile Hunter Lodge. Hear Robert Irwin speak more about his “passion project” in the video below.