Wānaka woman Neeve Byrne broke her back, ankle and wrist in a fall at the same Queenstown crags where a climber died last week.

Neeve (28) needed an operation to fuse her spine after falling around 30 metres from Leonardo's Wall, overlooking the Matakauri Park walkway, off Gorge Road.

Police and emergency services, including Hato Hone St John and the Wakatipu Alpine Cliff Rescue, were called to the popular climbing spot, near downtown Queenstown, around midday on Wednesday (August 21) last week.

Read more: Climber dies in 50m fall in Queenstown

Queenstown Police Senior Sergeant Steve Watt confirmed a male climber died after falling about 50m.

Now Neeve is calling for greater awareness of the dangers of the steep drop offs there, and believes some signs should be put up to remind climbers.

“There are steep drop offs before you've even clipped in to climb. Ultimately, everyone's safety is their own responsibility, and my story is a reminder that you need to be extra cautious whether at a dangerous spot in the backcountry, or somewhere like this."

She said she had hiked to the base of Leonardo's Wall, where there is “a really steep drop right behind you, but you can't really tell because there's quite a lot of bush in that area".

"I hadn't started climbing yet and I looked up at the rock we were about to climb, took a step back, and there was nothing behind me."

Neeve fell about five metres through the air and 25 metres "bashing off rocks".

"And yeah, I broke my back. I had to have a spinal fusion, from T11 to L3 vertebrae fused. I had my ankle reconstructed with metal, and have some pins in my wrist as well," she said.

Despite the life-changing injuries from the accident, which hospitalised her for two months, she considers herself relatively lucky.

"I'm lucky I survived and that I can walk because it was a massive break," Neeve said. 

"I think this area needs some more signs.”