Fans Line Up for Tickets to Steve Irwin's Memorial

The fans of Steve Irwin will get a chance to pay their respects to the Croc Hunter:

Some 3,000 grieving fans, hundreds of whom camped on the street overnight, were rewarded with tickets to next week’s public memorial service for “Crocodile Hunter” Steve Irwin.

The free tickets were distributed Friday at three locations across Irwin’s home state of Queensland, and were snapped up within about 15 minutes.

Melissa Power, a 34-year-old beautician, was at the front of the line in the state capital, Brisbane, and had tears in her eyes when she finally got her ticket.

“It’s unbelievable,” she said. “I haven’t slept and am so overemotional — I’m looking so forward to it.”

Thousands lined up for tickets outside Irwin’s Australia Zoo. Some burst into tears after the tickets ran out.

The public service for Irwin will be held Wednesday at the “Crocoseum” amphitheater on the grounds of the Australia Zoo, and will be a “celebration of his life, not a sad funeral,” his father, Bob, told reporters last week.

Irwin was clearly a beloved figure in his homeland, and I'm sure this will be a tough service to watch.