Australian teen dies in New Zealand after falling from hotel balcony

A Sydney teenager has died in a New Zealand hospital after falling from a hotel balcony in Queenstown three days ago.

Nineteen-year-old James Teague, from Paddington, had been drinking on Thursday before he fell about 10 metres on to a concrete carpark, police said.

He suffered a major head injury and was flown to hospital.

Mr Teague died at midnight last night, a Dunedin Hospital spokeswoman said today.

He had been staying in a second-floor unit at The Glebe Apartments in the popular tourist town with four male friends, three aged in their late teens or early 20s.

The group had been drinking alcohol before he fell at 3am, Detective Matt Jones said.

Mr Teague's family members travelled from Australia to be with him.