Green Sea: Lost in the New Zealand Bush

John Summers’ worst nightmare is getting lost in the bush. He has always carefully – myopically, even – followed the track. Death lurks at the edge of his fear, as well as cold, hunger, loneliness and even humiliation. But what is the experience of being lost in the New Zealand bush actually like? Summers talks to those who have survived – from a man who was found near death after 29 days in Kahurangi National Park to a woman who covered herself with earth to stay warm in the Orongorongo Valley. He explores what ‘ lost’ really means, a metaphor for everything from addiction to a midlife crisis. Part reportage, history and personal reflection, Green Sea looks closely at what keeps us going through the tangle of ordinary life – and at the mercies others show us when we feel most alone.