Robert Irwin ‘to leave Australia Zoo for love’, moving to Perth with Rorie Buckley

Robert Irwin is reportedly set to move to Perth, leaving Queensland’s Australia Zoo behind to be closer to his new girlfriend.

Robert Irwin, the celebrated wildlife enthusiast and son of the legendary Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin, is reportedly planning to leave behind his family’s world-renowned Australia Zoo in pursuit of love, as he gears up to move to Perth to be with his girlfriend, Heath Ledger’s niece, Rorie Buckley.

Robert has reportedly been grappling with the considerable distance between him and Buckley, 19, who is based in Perth completing her studies.

The long-distance travel from Queensland to Western Australia has proven a significant obstacle for the young couple’s budding relationship, which has been heating up lately, according to the Woman’s Day.

Rorie Buckley and Robert Irwin at the Australian premiere of Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One in Sydney in July. Picture: Getty Images

“It’s a real pain,” a source told Woman’s Day.

“Right when they really want to explore their relationship, they have this hellish distance between them.”

However, Terri Irwin, Robert’s mother and Australia Zoo’s matriarch, reportedly harbours some concerns about the fast-paced nature of the couple’s relationship, but is open to the idea of her son moving to Western Australia, and has even extended an invitation to the Buckley family to visit the Australia Zoo for Christmas.

Rorie Buckley and Robert Irwin at the Australian premiere of Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One in Sydney in July. Picture: Getty Images

Irwin and Buckley’s romance first made waves in November 2022 after they were spotted together in Brisbane.

Their relationship officially went public in July 2023, with a glamorous appearance on the red carpet at the Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One premiere in Sydney.

Rumours have also been swirling since April 2023 about a possible engagement.

Robert’s older sister, Bindi Irwin, has had her share of whirlwind romance, when she got engaged in 2019 at 21, and married her now husband Chandler Powell less than a year later at the family’s zoo.

Despite this, Irwin’s Instagram shows no indication of the young wildlife warrior’s intention to leave the zoo, with his most recent Instagram stories showcasing the Beerwah zoo’s latest luxury accommodation option, the Crocodile Hunter Lodge.