A British man has died after falling from the top of a waterfall while on holiday in Australia.

The 20-year-old man, who has not been named, is said to have fallen 100 metres (300 foot) over the edge of Wentworth Falls in New South Wales at around noon yesterday (1am today British time).

Police, paramedics and rescue teams were called, but the man was declared dead at the scene.

After an initial delay caused by high winds, his body was recovered by search crews and a police helicopter today.

A police spokeswoman said: “The location is extremely rugged and difficult to access, despite the rescue crew being very experienced.”

The man was said to have been in a group of eight friends and had travelled from Sydney's Bondi area to the Blue Mountains for a picnic and a walk along a marked trail through the bush.

It is not believed the friends were part of an organised tour.

The man’s family and the British Consulate in Australia have been notified of his death and a report will be prepared for the coroner.

A spokeswoman for the Foreign Office said: “We are aware of the death of a British national in New South Wales, Australia, on 6 January 2013, and we are providing consular assistance to the family at this difficult time.”

The Blue Mountains national park is about 37 miles west of Sydney and covers about a million hectares, according to the Destination New South Wales website.

A World Heritage site, the landscape of huge cliffs, deep rainforest gulleys and sandstone canyons and waterfalls forms part of the traditional country of the Aboriginal people.

Wentworth Falls is a three-tiered waterfall near a town of the same name in the Blue Mountains. The overall height of the falls is 187m.