'One of the nicest blokes': Satirist John Clarke, of Clarke and Dawe fame, dies aged 68.

Celebrated satirist and comedian John Clarke has died suddenly, aged 68. Clarke died while bushwalking in Victoria over the weekend.

“John died doing one of the things he loved the most in the world, taking photos of birds in beautiful bushland with his wife and friends. He is forever in our hearts,” his family said in a statement issued by the ABC.

“We are aware of what he has meant to so many for so many years, throughout the world but especially in Australia and New Zealand.

“We are very grateful for all expressions of sympathy and love which John would have greatly appreciated.”

Clarke was born in New Zealand but made his name as a comedian and political satirist in Australia after arriving in the 1970s.

For 27 years, he appeared on Australian television conducting mock interviews and skewering politicians with his comedy partner, Bryan Dawe.

The pair was best known for the Clarke and Dawe sketches that appeared on ABC TV and, earlier, on Channel Nine’s A Current Affair.

Clarke was a man of diverse talents — a comedian, actor and writer of television, film and stage musicals.

Australia has just lost its dry comic genius, John Clarke, I stand amongst all fans applauding a great man and an outstanding career. pic.twitter.com/rX2VjQkumg

— Shane Jacobson (@ShaneJacobson) 10 April 2017

He came to attention in his native New Zealand in the 1970s when he created the iconic character, Fred Dagg, a country bloke dressed in a black singlet, shorts and gumboots.

He co-wrote the multi-award winning mockumentary The Games, about the Sydney Organising Committee for the Olympic Games, which aired in 1999 and 2000.

He also co-wrote stage musicals The Adventures of Snugglepot and Cuddlepie and Little Ragged Blossom.

His books included A Dagg at My Table, The Howard Miracle and The 7.56 Report.

Clarke is survived by his wife Helen, children Lorin and Lucia, and grandchildren Claudia and Charles.

Politicians, sportspeople and members of the public have used social media to pay tribute to his contribution to Australia.

Two of the greatest minutes of satire you will see: https://t.co/8xVgMYK3SH #JohnClarke #TheFrontFellOff

— Wil Anderson (@Wil_Anderson) 10 April 2017

Federal Opposition Leader Bill Shorten said Clarke was the “sharpest, driest wit on Aussie TV”, and Greens leader Richard Di Natale called him a leading light of satire.

In his native New Zealand, Prime Minister Bill English tweeted his sorrow at the loss.

“Sad to hear of the death of John Clarke, aka Fred Dagg. His humour captured the experience of life in NZ and Australia,” he said.

The great satirist John Clarke has died. All of us at @abcnews and across the ABC are shocked. He helped us all see and laugh at the absurd.

— Gaven Morris (@gavmorris) 10 April 2017

ABC managing director Michelle Guthrie said the unexpected loss would be felt by everyone at the ABC, and by audiences across the country who had come to love his biting sense of humour.

“Australian audiences have relied on John Clarke for always getting to the heart of how many Australians felt about the politics of the day and tearing down the hypocrisy and at times absurdity of elements of our national debate,” she said.

Staff at ABC Melbourne, where Clarke would record his weekly two minute segments with Bryan Dawe, remembered a “lovely man” who always stopped to chat.

John Clarke: respected by his peers, adored by his fans, loved by his colleagues with a reputation as a one of the nicest blokes. RIP.

— Leigh Sales (@leighsales) 10 April 2017

Former ABC US correspondent Ben Knight began producing Clarke and Dawe this year, a job he called “hardly a labour”.

“Even after all these years, that sparkle in the eye was still there. That is why this came as so much of a shock,” Knight said.

He said Clarke always made “time to talk to everybody”.

“He was always far more interested in you than you were in him. For someone like me, I was very interested in him. He was a total fanboy situation for me,” he said.

“He will get a lot of tributes for his brilliant satirical work; he and Bryan were a fantastic team together.

“But he should also get a lot of tributes for just being one of the most wonderful human beings, I think, I have ever met.”

RN presenter Jonathan Green said Clarke was a “tremendous exchanger of pleasantries”.

“He was so careful with himself. He was such a beautifully crafted man,” Green said.

“Everything he did he did with extraordinary intent, with great precision and fully confident that what he was doing was what he wanted to do and was as good as he could make it.”

This post originally appeared on ABC News.