Bindi Irwin turns 13: I'm the luckiest girl in the world!

Grease is the word as Bindi rocks into her teens in the fab 50s style of her favourite movie. She talks about growing up and what makes her truly happy.

Watching Bindi Irwin dance, her skirt swishing to the beat of Greased Lightning pumping from the stereo, it’s hard to believe this is TV’s little khaki-clad eco warrior. All dressed up in 50s gear as she prepares to celebrate her 13th birthday, Steve’s little girl is pretty, petite and unfailingly polite.

Despite Bindi’s unconventional upbringing, which has included feeding crocodiles, hosting her own TV shows and travelling the world, she’s just like any other young teenager. Her favourite colour is pink and she loves talking to her friends, shopping, and listening to music. “I love The Veronicas and Jessica Mauboy,” she says. “I go out with friends to the shops at the weekend. I don’t have my ears pierced, but I love jewellery like rings and bracelets.”

As she laughs and chats with her little brother Robert, 7, it’s easy to forget Bindi is one of the most famous youngsters in the world, but the cutesy bunches and “jungle girl” look she’s known for across the globe are gone today and it’s obvious she is fast growing into a young woman. “It’s amazing watching Bindi change,” says mum Terri proudly.

“The little girl-to-young lady thing happens so quickly.” Terri’s eyes well with tears. “We hit these milestones and I think, ‘Gee, I wish Steve was here for it’,” she says of her wildlife warrior husband who died in a tragic accident in 2006. “And then I think he kind of is. We’re being watched over. That’s special too.”