The 66-year-old man's son tried desperately to save him but the experienced hunter died in the Fox Glacier valley, on the South Island's rugged West Coast, on Wednesday.

Police said the father and son, from NSW, had arrived in New Zealand at the weekend.

On Wednesday, they were hunting near the glacier, south of Karangarua, when became separated about midday, when they were nearly 1800 metres up in the Westland Ranges.

When the son called out to his father and received no response, he went looking for him.

Just after 1pm he found his father down a ravine suffering head injuries, police said.

The son set off an Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon, prompting a response from a rescue helicopter, police said.

"Sadly the father has died in the ravine," New Zealand Police said in a statement.

"Police extend their sympathies to the family at this sad time."

The helicopter winched the son to safety about 7pm on Wednesday. Family members in Australia have been notified and are flying to New Zealand.

Police recovered the body of the man from the ravine on Thursday.

Police won't release his name until a formal identification has taken place.

Greymouth Senior Sergeant Brent Cook told stuff.co.nz that the search was in the same area where Swedish hunter Hans Christian Tornmarck went missing. That search was called off earlier this month.

"It's a rugged area, typical of the West Coast," he said.

"It is rough terrain."

Fairfax Media has contacted the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade for comment.

Stuff.co.nz