Wellington, Jan 28 (IANS): An 85-year-old New Zealander fell on rocks from a 30-metre high cliff, but he survived with serious injuries, a media report said Wednesday.

Stewart Rundle was cleaning his garden shed on the clifftop property in Auckland Monday when he plunged down the cliff while his wife was out for a quick trip to the market, New Zealand Herald reported.

The pensioner was unconscious for several hours. He later used his mobile phone to raise an alarm.

Rundle's property has a glass fence near the perimeter, but their land stretches just beyond it and is accessible by a gate. He went down the steep bank to tidy up the area when the ground gave way, the daily said.

"He popped through and suddenly the ground gave way and down he went," Rundle's wife was quoted as saying.

Rundle was rescued by a fire service team and was taken to the Auckland City Hospital.

"He is in remarkably high spirits. He's a fit man. Okay, he's 85, but nobody ever thinks he's 85," his wife said.