A 33-year-old man was declared dead by paramedics on Monday after an alleged attack at a campground in Ebor, about 80km east of Armidale.
One of his friends, a 25-year-old woman who was also camping with the pair, drove the injured man for about an hour to Thora, in northern NSW, to get him medical attention.
Paramedics said the 33-year-old died from critical head injuries.
Police were told the man had allegedly been struck with an axe by a 26-year-old man they were camping with.
The woman told police she had also been assaulted and was treated for bruising to her neck.
On Monday, police arrested the 26-year-old man about 15 minutes' drive away from the campground in Ebor.
The man, from Thora, was charged with murder, intentionally choking a person with recklessness, and assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
He was refused bail to appear in court on Tuesday.
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