35 Years After They Met, Terri Irwin Says She And Steve Were 'More Than Soulmates'

Legendary conservationist and environmentalist Steve Irwin was beloved all around the world before he was killed by a deadly stingray in 2006. While many years have passed since, he is not forgotten, and his family is keeping his legacy alive. Steve's widow, Terri Irwin, has continued to honor their love story, and in October 2026, she took to Instagram to celebrate a special milestone — the couple's first meeting 35 years prior. It was a fateful run-in, and one that would change both of their lives forever. Steve became the manager of his family's Queensland Reptile and Fauna Park on October 4, 1991. 

On October 6, he first set eyes on Terri, and it was love at first sight. By June 1992, the two were happily married. They subsequently welcomed two children, Bindi and Robert. It was that fateful October 6 day that Terri recalled in her Instagram post as she honored the anniversary of the couple's first meeting. "It was 35 years ago today that I met the most incredible man at a tiny roadside wildlife park in Queensland, Australia," she captioned a snap of Steve showing her an impressive-looking snake. 

"This chance meeting would change my life forever. I always felt that Steve and I were more than soulmates." Terri's post came about a month after a heartbreaking Instagram tribute that marked 20 years since her husband's death. "Grief still walks with me like my shadow," she penned at the time, recalling their family's final days with "Crocodile Hunter" Steve, and how they were happily spending time together on a crocodile research expedition. "I believe that all of us, every one of us, gets to say goodbye. We just may not know that we're saying it," Terri sweetly concluded her post.

If you're wondering whether Terri Irwin is open to remarrying one day, she'd be the first to admit she's not even trying. "I think it's wonderful when people who have lost someone find love again, but I'm not personally looking, and I haven't been on a date in 27 years," Terri told People in 2018. "I've already had my happily ever after." During a 2024 interview with Us Weekly, Terri's stance remained unchanged. "While there are a lot of wonderful men in the world, can you see another Steve Irwin? I just can't," she reasoned simply. 

Terri has kept Steve alive in the hearts and minds of her two children, Bindi and Robert, because both were so young when he died. In an attempt to get through that incredibly hard time, Terri would sit her kids down each night and they'd have a moment of positive reflection. "We'd each say our favorite part of the day, what we were most looking forward to tomorrow and a good deed we did that day," she detailed to People. "You can't focus on yourself. You need to focus on what you're doing for others and then you can start to heal." 

As they grew up, Bindi and Robert both honored their father's legacy and have continued his work too. Robert has even formed a special relationship with Prince William, a fellow conservation enthusiast. Bindi, meanwhile, is living an incredibly normal life while she works as a zookeeper and wildlife conservationist alongside her brother. Robert has often found himself in the spotlight, not least because of his impressive dance moves on Season 34 of "Dancing with the Stars" (which he won). Steve would undoubtedly be very proud.