Residents reported feeling "jolting" and shaking on social media.
The biggest quake was a magnitude 4.8 at 4.46am, while another was a magnitude 4.6.
The first tremor was a magnitude 3.4 tremor at 3.29am.
"This swarm is in a similar area to swarms that occurred in 2018 and 2019," Geonet said.
"Feeling earthquakes close together in time can be unsettling, but this is typical activity for the area, and our team is keeping an eye on things."
Kiri Schindler said she had felt more than 50 quakes in Kawerau that started at 3.30am when she was "shaken awake" and some were "very strong".
"They are still going and you can hear them before the shake happens. A few things fallen over and broken in the house."She said it was little scary and bought back memories when she was child from the Edgecumbe Earthquake.
"It has definitely been an unsettled night."
Kendall Budd said there were a lot of small quakes at the moment "almost nose to tail".
"I can hear continuous rumbling. I have had items shaken off shelves and water spilled out of fish tanks that I had to siphon out at 4am."
"My animals have been beside themselves. My dogs wanted to come with me for a shower with me this morning."
Residents on the Whakatāne Notice Board Facebook page said the quakes felt bigger than the official recorded magnitudes.
"Whoa felt way bigger, the house was rocking hard out," one said.
"Being shallow we feel it more", another said, while a third person said it was "quite scary" and they were "still feeling mild aftershocks.
