The man, who suffered minor injuries, was walking with his wife at the time of the accident.

He was about halfway up the walking trail at Drawing Room Rocks, at Woodhill, north west of Berry about 6.40am on Tuesday, when he stumbled and fell over the edge of the track, and tumbled 10-15 metres down the steep incline.

The man, who is believed to be a Shoalhaven local, only came to rest against a tree, which stopped him falling a further.

Fairfax Media understands if the man had fallen a metre or so in another direction he could have plunged around four metres off a sheer drop.

The man’s wife raised the alarm with emergency services rushing to the scene.

Faced with a tricky rescue operation, NSW Ambulance paramedics, tethered with safety ropes, made their way down the steep incline to stabilise the man, who was conscious and talking with his rescuers.

NSW Police and Rural Fire Service Crews from Shoalhaven Heads, and Broughton Vale worked with paramedics to recover the man from his precarious position.

The rescue operation took around three hours before the man could be recovered from his location.

He was placed in a stokes litter and hauled back up to the track, from where he was further assessed and then carried to the car park at the bottom of the trail.

The NSW Ambulance Toll Rescue Helicopter also attended the scene with a doctor and paramedic form the Wollongong based helicopter accompanying the man by ambulance to Wollongong Hospital.

He was reported to be in a stable condition, but suffering numerous abrasions, with paramedics saying it was incredible he didn't appear to have suffered any broken bones during his fall.