Great-grandmother sees funny side in getting lost in Australian bush

The 84-year-old matriarch from New Zealand, who survived three nights lost in the bush in Western Australia, has been joking about her ordeal.

Patricia Byrne, a great-grandmother from Whangamata, was helping her family maintain walking tracks in the Stirling Range National Park when she went missing on Thursday.

She was found on Sunday, dehydrated and emotional, and is now recovering in hospital.

Ms Byrne said she lost her way when she emerged from bushland and realised she had lost sight of her relatives.

She said she expected to find her way back to them by following a creek bed.

"I figured that if I followed the creek bed I would end up at the right place, but now I've been told the creek bed divides or something," she said.

Temperatures reached 37C in the region on Friday and Ms Byrne had no water or food.

She said she was able to make herself comfortable despite contending with high temperatures and strong winds.

"When it got dark I found somewhere to lie flat and rest my head on a log or something, and have a bit of a sleep," she said.

Ms Byrne said she was not particularly frightened during the ordeal.

"Not really no, I didn't think I was lost," she said.

Ms Byrne also made a good-humoured jibe at her relieved family members.

"I thought this crowd were a bit slack, hadn't noticed that I'm not there for breakfast," she said.

Ms Byrne described her treatment in hospital as "like a 10-star hotel", and personally thanked the officer who found her, Acting Sergeant Steven Ball from the Tambellup police station.

"It's an incredible moment, to see her doing so well, to see her laughing and joking," Acting Sergeant Ball said.

"It's remarkable what she's been through, and to be in that sort of condition now, it's marvellous to see her like that.

"It's the best possible outcome this is, [to] get to spend her Christmas with family now, so couldn't ask for much more."

- RNZ/ABC