Helicopter pilot Art Kowalski said the man was "very, very lucky that he didn't hit any rocks" when he fell.
The worker was "quite banged up" with a broken leg, a broken collarbone and head and neck pain as he had taken "quite a good blow to the head as he fell down".
St John spokesman Mark Tregoweth said the man had critical injuries when paramedics arrived.
The private road was cordonedoff for several hours to allow roomfor emergency services to leave quickly.
Hancock general manager Bill McAllum confirmed the man was a contractor planting pines at a Maori lease forest block in Haupoto, about 40km from Opotiki.
Representatives of the company visited the accident site yesterday afternoon and were conducting an investigation along with its contractor.
Management expected to receive a report on the fall this morning and would release more information.
Meanwhile, the Westpac Waikato Air Ambulance was also called out to Opotiki at 9am yesterday after a 30-year-old forestry worker lost four fingers when his right hand became wedged between machinery used to lift up the logs and the wire which secures them.
Pilot Loren Haisley said helicopter crew met the man at the Opotiki airfield and he was lucid.
He said the wire had just "snapped his fingers off".
"He was calm, not overreacting or any serious response or anything like that."
The man was flown to Waikato Hospital.
