Robert Irwin Shares How Australia Keeps Him Connected to His Late Dad Steve

Robert Irwin may be under Hollywood’s bright lights as a competitor on season 34 of Dancing with the Stars, but Australia will always be home.

The wildlife conservationist, 21, who tied for first place with The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star Whitney Leavitt and partner Mark Ballas on DWTS’ premiere last Tuesday, Sept. 16, said that Australia is a place that always makes him feel connected to his late father, Steve Irwin.

Steve died at the age of 44 after being attacked by a stingray while filming in the Batt Reef off the coast of Australia on Sept. 4, 2006.

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“It is where I feel his energy and his passion more than anywhere else,” said Robert, while talking about his home base to Travel + Leisure in an interview published on Friday, Sept. 19.

“That’s the great part of getting to live here,” he said. “It’s so easy to get out in the middle of nowhere and just forget everything. You feel like you’re part of something so much bigger than yourself.”

For Robert, his father was always “the embodiment of passion, of living life to 100 percent” — traits he relates to Australia.

“If Australia were a person, it would be my dad,” Robert told the outlet. “To love your wildlife, to be passionate, to have that spirit of mateship and camaraderie with everyone. He is just a superhero to me.”

Outside of DWTS, Robert carries on his father’s mission through his work at Australia Zoo, working with rehabilitated wildlife, alongside his mother Terri, 61, sister Bindi, 27, and his brother-in-law Chandler Powell, 28.

Robert told PEOPLE earlier this month that he hopes DWTS will allow him to spread his message of wildlife conservation to a larger audience.

“In my line of work, I get to see two sides to the same coin,” he said. “I see the beauty of nature, because I’m immersed in it every day, but I also get to see the absolute atrocities that are happening to the natural world. I mean, there’s no two ways about it — we’re going through a very, very tough time with the planet and climate change.”

He is also diving fully into his DWTS experience, finding fun ways to honor his dad, including with his wardrobe and dance moves.

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Dancing with the Stars airs on Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET and PT on ABC and simulcast on Disney+. The show streams the next day on Hulu.