An Australian soldier on a survival training exercise has died after falling down a deep crevasse on on Aoraki Mount Cook, New Zealand's tallest mountain.

Emergency services were told of the incident at 12.18pm today and the Alpine Rescue Team from Mount Cook village went to the area.

The body of the 44-year-old has been recovered and has been flown back to the Mount Cook Emergency Service Centre.

The Australian Defence Force has confirmed in a statement that the man was an Australian solider. He was on the mountain as part of a group of 10 involved in a training exercise.