'Like losing a part of your heart': Bindi still heartbroken

Bindi Irwin has opened up about the heartbreak of losing a parent, saying she was still coping with the tragic loss of her father, Steve.

In 2003 with her dad, "The Crocodile Hunter" Steve Irwin.

BINDI Irwin has opened up about the heartbreak of losing a parent.

The 20-year-old, who graces the cover of People magazine alongside younger brother Robert, 15, said she was still coping with the tragic loss of her father.

"I remember people coming up to me and saying 'I'm sorry for your loss, sweetheart. Time heals all wounds.' But that's just not true,” she said.

"It's like losing a part of your heart, and when you've lost that, you never get it back.”

Bindi and Robert Irwin appeared on the cover of People magazine, talking about life after losing their dad.

In 2006, Bindi's father, Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin, was killed by a stingray while filming Ocean's Deadliest, leaving behind two children aged eight and two at the time, and wife Terry, now 54. He was 44.

Bindi, Robert and Terry have since dedicated their lives to continuing Steve's environmental mission by spreading the message of their non-profit conservation group Wildlife Warriors across the world.

In October, they returned to television with their Animal Planet series, Crikey! It's the Irwins, which follows their lives at Australia Zoo, where they live and work.

Chandler Powell, left, and Bindi Irwin appear at a ceremony honoring the late Steve Irwin with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Thursday, April 26, 2018, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Willy Sanjuan/Invision/AP)

"I sure hope Dad would be proud,” Bindi said.

"We really do try every day to make him proud and follow in his footsteps.

"I hope that somewhere he's out there going, 'Yes! You did good!'”

Robert, who also spoke to the publication, said he and Bindi were committed to continuing their father's legacy.

"No matter where we go or what we do, we'll always come back here,” he said.

"This is our passion. It's a part of us and Australia Zoo will always be home.”