When it comes to dating, Bindi Irwin is listening to her late dad's advice.

Would your daughter do this?

You’d be forgiven for thinking Bindi Irwin was just like any other teenager – a lover of animals, of pop music and of fashion. But the daughter of the late Steve Irwin is anything but your average teen, she’s much more like her father.

The 16-year-old had a chat with People Magazine this week and admitted that she is spending more time getting stuck in to books, ecology work, planning for the future and being an example for young girls instead of focusing on short skirts and dating boys.

“Dad said I can’t date until I’m 40,” she laughed while talking to People. “So maybe I’ll just focus on my studies. It’s a long way off.”

And her mum, Terri Irwin is in full support of holding off the dating scene until Bindi is older.

"Teenage boys are scarier than crocodiles," Terri told People.

"Crocs are much more predictable! But seriously, I'm very proud of Bindi and proud of her life choices. I think she has always taken very seriously the opportunity to be a role model. She'd never say that, but she wants to make a difference." 

And while Bindi seems confident in her own life choices too - she admits that (although she's famous in Australia) she deals with the same problems and concerns all teenagers do. But Bindi wants to make other girls realise that they don't have to worry so much about following the crowd or impressing their peers.

"I try so hard to be true to myself," she told People.

Bindi also touched on her love of kahki and how she is proud to be modest in her dress. She hopes to let young girls know that what they wear and how they dress doesn't have to come from peer pressure or conform to social 'norms'.

"I hope I can help other girls realise that they don't have to do things just because everyone else is doing them. I like dressing modestly, let's put it like that. There can be a lot of pressure on girls to dress the way they wouldn't normally dress: on social media, at school, among friends," she told People.

Bindi is going in to her last year of high school this year and says that after that she plans to take on the world. She admits that she has so many plans and that ultimately she wants to take some college courses focusing on business and tourism.

As a young, budding teen Bindi is excited for this time in her life and all that it has to offer.

She says to People, "When you're 16, 17, 18 years old, you're really entering that adult world, making decisions for yourself, finding out who you are and where you fit in. I think it'll be a brilliant journey."

Bindi has been in the spotlight ever since Australia lost her famous father, Steve Irwin in 2006 in a sting ray accident. She is determined to keep everything he worked for going in to the future and to continue talking about him so his passions live on.

Bindi is shaping up to be a young woman that we know her father would've been proud of. Because we sure are.

Who do you think are Australia's greatest role models for our kids?

CLICK THROUGH this gallery to see Terri and Steve Irwin together (nostalgia hit)...

Want more? Try:

"Bindi Irwin blasted for bringing shame to her father."

"Bindi tells her fellow teens to cover up: "You're trying too hard."