Do or Die - Lost in the Bush

The New Zealand bush is both attractive and accessible. But if you lose your way it can be an unforgiving environment.

– Narrator Francesca Rudkin, at the start of this documentary

People can get into difficulty in the outdoors or in the bush, and it's probably the decisions that they then make as to whether they're gonna get themself out of trouble, or they're not going to get into any worse trouble . . . Once they're in a little bit of trouble, those decisions that they then make are the critical ones.

– Bush safety expert Mike Spray on the importance of good decision-making, early in this documentary

I really didn't know what to do and then I saw the helicopters, so my attention went to try and attract the attention of the helicopter pilot.

– Keith Reynolds on trying to use a camera flash to alert a helicopter, while lost in the Waitakere Ranges

I actually thought 'this is where I die'. I actually came to that point;, I thought 'I die in Auckland, in the Waitakere Ranges.' . . . It is a scary feeling.

– Keith Reynolds on his experience of being lost in the Waitakere Ranges

I didn't even realise that there was someone there until he started getting us into warm sleeping bags. Having another person there sort of felt like a dream. It was pretty weird you know, having someone appearing out of the blue in a blizzard.

– Matt Painting on the person who came to his aid in the Kaimanawa Mountains

By 3pm, John and Matt Painting were in trouble. The blizzard had hit, and they were suddenly enveloped by sub-zero temperatures, snow and howling 80-knot winds. It took only minutes for Mr Painting to be affected by hypothermia. His body temperature plummeted, he began to shiver uncontrollably and he became delirious . . . They worked out they were only an hour's tramp from the safety of Waipakihi Hut but could not orient themselves.

– NZ Herald article on John Painting and his son Matt battling a blizzard in the Kaimanawa Mountains, 28 September 2000

We know that if the helicopter can fly it's going to be looking for us. If were in a situation where we are lost or injured and the fire and the smoke coming up trees is going to be really good because they'll be looking out for it.

– Bush safety expert Mike Spray on building fire for a smoke signal

I was conscious that if I went to sleep I may not wake up, so I was really focused on staying awake for as long as I could.

– Kevin Steger on surviving being injured in the Kaweka Range, late in this documentary

The weather will just change, and you have to be prepared for everything, even if it's a beautiful summer day, you know. Take your wet weather gear, take your survival blanket, because without it, we would have died.

– Amy Ross on never underestimating the power of nature

The poor decisions John and Matt made were wearing inadequate clothing, and not stopping to take shelter before they became hypothermic. What they did right was keeping each other awake the first night, and making plenty of noise so the Search and Rescue Team could find them.

– Narrator Francesca Rudkin on Matt and John Painting's experience in the Kaimanawa Mountains

It was during the night that the river actually came up . . . all of a sudden water just came up and swept all around us, and we were surrounded by water. You could hear the rumbling of the rocks being flooded down the river and it was just an incredibly frightening situation. Pitch dark, water everywhere...

– Amy Ross on her experience being lost in the Ōtaki River