This wildlife warrior is continuing her family legacy of protecting the Earth. Here are her top Australian outdoor picks, from the Dinosaur Trail to snorkelling at Lady Elliot Island.

Some people love nature; Bindi Irwin lives it.

"My life revolves around wildlife and conservation," says Irwin, a passionate conservationist and zookeeper at Australia Zoo, where she lives with her husband and their daughter, Grace. "I have spent my whole life, from my earliest memories, around animals. My heart beats for protecting our beautiful Mother Earth."

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Bindi Irwin is a conservationist, TV personality and zookeeper at Australia Zoo, which runs one of the largest wildlife hospitals in the world. She is also the author of You Are a Wildlife Warrior!, a children's book encouraging the next generation to love our planet.

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Irwin has always known she would carry on the work begun by her legendary parents, Terri and the late Steve "the Crocodile Hunter" Irwin. "It is the most remarkable feeling to get to carry on Dad's legacy while also forging my own path in the world of conservation," she says. "Now as a mother to our beautiful daughter Grace, I feel the importance of caring for our world more than ever."

One of Irwin's favourite ways to care for the planet – specifically, her beloved home country of Australia – is to appreciate its magnificent natural landscapes. As the sixth largest country in the world, Australia's terrain ranges from vast deserts to snowcapped peaks to ancient rainforests and meandering rivers. Its surrounding oceans teem with coral reefs, which are rich with sea life.

"Australia is truly my favourite place in the world," says Irwin. "We have such a diverse country with so many different environments to explore. Whether you are looking for a gorgeous city experience or a chance to explore the outback, there is something beautiful everywhere you look!"

Here are Bindi Irwin's top five adventures in the great Australian outdoors.

Irwin is surrounded by thousands of live animals each day at Australia Zoo, but she loves Australia's extinct species as well. Various dinosaur species have been uncovered on the continent, dating to the Cretaceous and Jurassic eras. You can learn all about them on Queensland's Dinosaur Trail.

"When my brother [conservationist and Dancing with the Stars star Robert Irwin] was little, he adored learning about palaeontology," says Irwin. "My gorgeous mum would take us on yearly adventures to [the trail]."

The Dinosaur Trail is a 229km driving route that traces Queensland's "outback triangle", linking the towns of Richmond, Winton and Hughenden; home to some of the world's best-preserved fossils. Visitors can drive through the unforgettable red-earth landscape of the Australian outback to hit various "stops" where they can witness evidence of dinosaur stampedes, embark on dinosaur digs and learn how to unearth their own specimens at a fossil lab.

"It takes you on a fascinating adventure, unlocking the secrets of our prehistoric past," says Irwin. "My best advice is to rent a good 4WD or pack up your own and make this a memorable road trip. Lark Quarry [Conservation Park], Australian Age of Dinosaurs [Museum], Porcupine Gorge and Kronosaurus Korner [Marine Fossil Museum] are so much fun."

Website: https://australiasdinosaurtrail.com.au/

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