Michael Bastick Tribute Onlinetributes.com.au

Eulogy for Michael Bastick 28/11/1952 – 27/1/2010

The most memorable thing to say about Michael was his unselfish nature and ability to help out others. Whether it was to help with carrying a your pack or the chores at the shack, Michael was there to help.

I have had the honour to know Michael for over thirty years and it is a sad thing that I have lost not just a brother-in-law but also and a great mate. Michael and I have shared a great many adventures and in this short eulogy I will recount just a few. Hopefully, you can recall your personal experiences and memories of Michael as well.

Michael was tall. Six foot 4 inches with size 14 shoes. A good bloke to have as a friend if you got into trouble. On a Rocky creek trip, once, a short fellow had got stuck in a washing machine type water fall. Not to miss an opportunity to assist, Michael used his expansive legs to straddle over the annoying waterfall and grab the drowned and worn out bushwalker by the pack straps and lift them to the top.

On another occasion we were out of daylight on the downward leg of Byangee Walls trip. With my wife Sue and young son Keith back at Yadbro I was a little frantic to get back. Michael held the party together. You can’t abseil in the dark, its too dangerous. We stayed the night. It was wise leadership and all was well in the morning.

You had great confidence when Michael was running the walk. He had great navigation and leadership skills. He was well organized and always carried spare items for the group like another airbed on a Wollongambie  trip. If he also was doing the catering you would not go hungry. I am sure those of you that went on his Tassy trips would agree.

Michael was a great all round bushwalker and outdoors person. He ran trips to clandestine sea cave in Lake Munmorah  State Rec many times and many of you would have enjoyed this adventure. We ran a trip to bottom the Big Hole in Deua National Park. Something to add to the list of achievements as it is over a 100m abseil and climb.

He was very keen on bike riding and I and fellow bushwalkers joined him to do Sydney to the Gong trips. We even won a prize for our dress up as Busy Bees one year. When the opportunity to do the Coast walk in the Royal National Park by night was put on the program, it was a must and with Michael leading, it was enjoyable and safe.

He dabbled in Cross country skiing as well and got a bit of the four wheel driving thrill when he got to go to Cape York with his close friends.

In early years Michael had a passion for photography and even started a hobby business doing wedding photographs. He loved “mucking about” in boats. He had his own tinny and then a small sail boat he called the “Rum Runner”.

After I married Sue, we went shares in a scanoe, complete with a small motor. On one adventurous trip on Botany Bay, the scanoe was lifted out of the water and he was dumped. Michael’s quick thinking and his endurance made that experience an annoyance rather than a disaster. Like I said, Michael, was a good bloke to have when the going got tough. He then purchased and used a range of sea kayaks just to complete the experience.

Michael loved astronomy and joined the Sutherland Shire Astro club. I got invited along and enjoyed the adventure as well. He had a number of telescope and often had them at the shack. Did you see Saturn through Mike’s telescope like I did?. I am sure this was the seed for his desire to obtain his science degree and study to become a teacher.

Two aspects of Michael life you may be surprised to hear was that he did courses in bird watching  and also ball room dancing, both of these with my wife Sue. He just had to enjoy everything life had to offer.

Michael’s adventures included a trip to Europe and he just had to get ice crampons so he could enjoy the feeling of a walk on a glacier. With, Ruth, they went to Antarctica on a cruise. He experiences and his joy of the outdoors knew no bounds.

Michael, was deeply in love with Ruth. They got on real well together and numerous trips to the shack cemented their love for each other and the Australian Bush. Michael and Ruth’s wedding over six years ago was a most wonderful time. Moya his mother and Bernard his father where very happy that he had found his true love and could settle down in marital bliss and companionship. More adventures where to be had with trips to Lord Howe Island and Vietnam just recently. Ruth and Michael were true companions.

What of Michael’s career. Michael won a place as an apprentice with Telsra leaving school at year 10 and stayed with Telstra for many years to finish as a Principal Technical officer. He would have stayed with Telstra, but he offered to take a redundancy so that his married workmates had continuity of employment.

However, this was also an opportunity to follow that dream of becoming a science teacher. He loved Star trek, Star Wars and Stargate science fiction movies, learning about nature and astronomy. Science was a passion of his and studying it was a natural choice.

It was not easy to return to study as a mature aged student, but he persevered and despite assisting his parent’s through their illnesses whilst studying he completed his double degree. Bernie, his dad, was very excited at his graduation in 2008 as we all were.

Michael is remembered for his generosity of spirit, friendship and helpfulness. Michael was everybody’s friend and always a welcome bloke to have a cuppa with. He will be sadly missed, especially by Ruth,, but I know a little bit of his spirit lives in all of us and we are all so much better for having known Michael.

Michael, may you Rest in Peace. (written by his brother in law).