A 48-year-old woman survived five days stranded in the bush in Australia by eating sweets and drinking a single bottle of wine.

Lillian Ip set off on what was meant to be a short trip on Sunday, travelling through dense bush in Victoria state.

But she hit a dead-end after taking a wrong turn, and her vehicle became stuck in the mud.

Ms Ip – who doesn’t drink – only had a bottle of wine in the car as she was planning to give it as a present.

After five nights stranded, she was discovered by emergency services on Friday as they flew overhead as part of a search.

“The first thing coming in my mind, I was thinking ‘water and a cigarette,’” Ms Ip told 9News Australia. “Thank god the policewoman had a cigarette.”

“I thought I was going to die there. My whole body shut down on Friday,” she said, adding that she “was about to give up”.

As she lost hope of being found alive, she wrote a letter to her family saying she loved them.

Ms Ip was found around 60km (37 miles) away from the nearest town and due to health issues she was unable to walk far so stayed with her car, Victoria police said.

She only had a few snacks and sweets to eat, and no water.

“The only liquid Lillian, who doesn’t drink, had with her was a bottle of wine she had bought as a gift for her mother so that got her through,” Wodonga Police Station Sergeant Martin Torpey said.

“She used great common sense to stay with her car and not wander off into bushland, which assisted in police being able to find her.”

Ms Ip was taken to hospital to be treated for dehydration, but has since returned home to Melbourne. (BBC: Text, Excluding Headline)

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