A hiker has been found alive and "really well" after spending five days lost in the Australian bush.

Julio Ascui had been missing since posting pictures on Friday -- Photo: VICTORIA POLICE

Julio Ascui, 50, had not been seen since Friday when he posted a selfie in the Grampians National Park, in the state of Victoria.

Authorities and relatives spent days searching for him. They traced the start of the bushwalker's journey by using photos he had shared online.

Mr Ascui said he was well but thirsty after being found by park rangers.

Asked where he had been, he sighed and said: "Everywhere, man, everywhere."

"I just come to [go] trekking and, after, I'm lost for five days," he told the Australian Broadcasting Corp on Wednesday.

The Chilean-born Melburnian, a father of two, said he had been using a stream to replenish his water bottle.

He left his home in Melbourne, about 230km (140 miles) away, to go bushwalking on Friday. His car was discovered unattended on Sunday.

Mr Ascui's son, Joshua, said he was overwhelmed after his father was found safe.

"There are no words that can describe how I'm feeling right now," he told reporters, according to The Age.

"I thought I knew what happiness was. I didn't know what happiness was until today."

The Grampians National Park is one of Victoria's most popular bushwalking locations, with tracks ranging in difficulty through often-rugged terrain.

Source: BBC