Terri, Bindi and Robert Irwin join Today Show crew on Sunshine Coast

Australia Zoo’s Terri, Bindi and Robert Irwin will join the cast and crew of Channel Nine’s Today Show when the popular television breakfast program airs from the Sunshine Coast tomorrow morning (Thursday, March 10).

The Wildlife Warriors will share centre stage with presenters Karl Stefanovic, Lisa Wilkinson, Richard ‘Dickie’ Wilkins and Sylvia Jeffreys, at Mooloolaba for Today’s return visit as part of the show’s “We Love Australia” series.

Terri will also join journalist Andrew Lofthouse and Today host Lisa Wilkinson on ‘The Grill’ to discuss all things happening on the Sunshine Coast.

Sunshine Coast Council has partnered with Sunshine Coast Airport, Visit Sunshine Coast and Tourism and Events Queensland to bring Today back to the Sunshine Coast.

Council CEO Michael Whittaker said some four million Australians watched at least five minutes of Today each week and more than 350,000 viewers tuned in daily.

“The national exposure is priceless,” Mr Whittaker said.

“Viewers will be given a close-up of our beautiful hinterland and beaches and a taste of our spectacular food culture.

“Today will showcase Flame Hill Vineyard and Q Camel Milk, and Colin James Fine Food will be put to the test with a gelato tasting.

“Our famous Mooloolaba prawns will also be in the spotlight in a very different way with a prawn peeling competition.”

Tim and Sam Aitkin of local musical act Hoo8hoo will perform and some lucky spectators will get a chance to play volleyball against the hosts.

The region’s natural beauty will be highlighted with a Pumicestone Passage jetski tour, surf yoga and shark dive at Underwater World SeaLife Mooloolaba.

“It’s a great chance to promote a range of our business and tourism opportunities and to highlight this year’s ‘Welcome to the Sunshine Coast’ campaign where we will roll out the welcome mat to 150,000 guests competing and participating in more than 60 sporting and lifestyle events,” Mr Whittaker said.

“Today will air on the eve of the Mooloolaba Triathlon and we expect that event to attract about 10,500 competitors and supporters.

“We’ll also get the chance to celebrate Mooloolaba Beach being rated the sixth best beach in Australia by TripAdvisor.”

Lisa and Karl said they were thrilled to return after receiving “the best welcome in the world” from the Sunshine Coast community when they arrived here last October.

Karl said the Mooloolaba broadcast was “going to be epic”.

“We want everybody to come down and help us break the record for the biggest crowd ever,” Karl said.

Visit Sunshine Coast CEO Simon Ambrose said: “The Today team told us the Sunshine Coast broadcast at Moffat Beach last year was the best of the ‘We Love Australia’ series because of the incredible enthusiasm shown by locals and the support they received from tourism businesses across the region”.

“To be invited to host a second ‘We Love Australia’ broadcast so soon after the first reflects how much Lisa, Karl and Dickie enjoyed their experience, and we will be going all-out to make the Mooloolaba outside broadcast even more memorable,” Mr Ambrose said.

Thursday’s outside broadcast will begin at 4.30am near Loo with a View. It will air at 5.30am local time.

Fans who attend will have the chance to be part of ‘Dickie’s Double Dip for Cash Giveaway’.

Parking is available at Underwater World SeaLife Mooloolaba.