Mackay’s Bryce Bathe is about to call it a day on his career as a Marine Pilot with North Queensland Bulk Ports (NQBP) but exploring Bryce’s resume further shows how truly incredible his career has been.
From a dairy farm to a Rolls Royce mechanic, adventures on Tall Ships with Anthony Hopkins and Mel Gibson, and scientific research discovering new animal species, Bryce has done it all.
His first job on the water came when he was chosen as one of 200 young people from the Commonwealth nations to join an expedition on a tall ship that followed the circumnavigation of Francis Drake.
“We completed studies of different cultures, surveyed shipwrecks, undertook community health work, discovered a new type of monitor lizard, and took science to the canopies of the tropical rainforests around the globe,” Bryce said.
“It was a life-changing experience.”
Bryce says his formative years were spent on sailing ships all over the world.
After the Francis Drake expedition, he found himself on a tall ship sailing from England to Australia.
On this expedition, he weathered a violent storm in the Bay of Biscay as a starter, assisted the Charles Darwin Institute in the Galapagos Islands, took supplies to Pitcairn Island, studied the effects of the French nuclear tests at Mururoa Atoll and so much more.
He was even part of the ship’s crew for the 1984 remake of Mutiny of the Bounty featuring Mel Gibson and Anthony Hopkins.
Mr Bathe wrapped up his tall ship experience immersed in Australia’s bicentennial celebrations and jointly managing the two-year restoration of a Topsail Schooner.
“One of the best jobs I had was as Captain of a CSIRO research vessel,” Bryce said.
“I worked with some amazing scientists who were researching the trigger of El Nino weather patterns.
Bryce says the progression from the merchant navy to a marine pilot role is a natural one, ultimately taking a job in Mackay.
“Family was a huge driver for ‘coming ashore’, six weeks at sea and six weeks at home is not the best for family life,” he said.
In his time with NQBP, Bryce was appointed to the Pilot Manager role, something he never expected.
Another highlight came when he filled the role of director of the Australasian Marine Pilots Institute and contributed to the first edition of the Marine Pilot Competence and Performance Guide.
Bryce says retirement is yet another journey and he’s keen to see where it takes him.
“I am looking forward to enjoying all the adventures and opportunities that come our way,” he said.
Bryce Bathe is about to retire from his role as Marine Pilot Manager at NQBP
Bryce has had an extraordinary career filled with adventure. Photos supplied: NQBP
