Aftershocks continue to shake the East Cape on Friday morning, following a 7.1 shake that could be felt right across the country.
The initial tremor struck at 4:37am on Friday, centred 130km off Te Araroa. It was 55km deep, according to quake monitoring service GeoNet.
There are no reports of damage or injuries yet, but items were knocked off supermarket shelves.
Civil Defence warned people to stay away from beaches, saying there was potential tsunami threat. The threat was called off at about 8:30am.
The first tsunami waves arrived on the East Cape at about 6am, measuring 30cm high.
Auckland Transport warned train commuters to expect widespread delays and cancellations as a result of the quake. Kiwirail closed the line between Newmarket and Britomart for a couple of hours this morning as a precautionary measure because part of the line runs below sea level.
It has since reopened, but ongoing delays should be expected.
Aftershocks measuring as high 5.8 have hit Ruatoria and Te Araroa on a regular basis.
Residents on the Rangitaiki Plains water scheme should boil their water as a precaution until further notice, Civil Defence says, due to high amounts of sediment in the aquifers.
And in Te Teko, dropping reservoir levels mean residents should conserve water. Water supplies in Waimana and Edgecumbe are back to normal.
"I felt it, and I'm in Manurewa," said another.
Dan Hood, in nearby Kanakanaia, was woken up by the severe tremors.
"The thing with an earthquake is you never know where they're gonna go," he told RadioLIVE.
"The scary part was wondering if there was a big jolt coming, or whether it was just going to subside and disappear. But I'd imagine we'll get a few aftershocks after something like that."
Robyn Rotherham, from Flagstaff, Hamilton said she felt the tremor for a good 20 seconds.
Gisborne Mayor Meng Foon says he was woken by the quake, but understands people in his region are okay.
"I don't have any reports of any damage, but I do have reports that people are okay. People have indicated yep, there's nothing untowards in their own homes, so that's good."
It could also be felt in Auckland, Northland, Palmerston North, Napier and even Blenheim and Christchurch in the South Island.
"I was sitting at my laptop here in Christchurch and felt the quake," Christchurch resident Gary Neame told Newshub. "The plant beside me was swaying for a good 20-30 seconds."
"Was a good wake up in Gisborne," Zoe Toms wrote on the Newshub Facebook page. "Didn't think it was guna stop. Could see the house moving. Have felt 3 good aftershocks [sic]."
It knocked items off the shelves in Whakatane.
There have been several aftershocks, measuring as strong as 5.7.
Civil Defence says aftershocks should be expected. It has put out a list of recommendations for those close to the epicentre.
Friday's quake follows a 5.7 tremor that shook the same area yesterday.
Newshub.
