Southern homeowners are being urged to check property for signs of damage following Wednesday's earthquake, which has caused an estimated $6 million damage to 3000 properties.
Earthquake Commission insurance manager Lance Dixon said 537 insurance claims had been lodged last night, with more expected as homeowners assessed damage over the weekend.
The majority of claims were from Invercargill, Southland, Dunedin, Queenstown, Gore, Central Otago and Clutha.
One claim had been lodged from as far north as the Tasman region, he said.
Most claims were for minor damage, including broken windows and cracks in internal and external walls.
Computer projections by the commission estimate about 3000 residential properties will have been damaged, causing about $6 million worth of damage.
Considering the size of Wednesday's 7.8 magnitude earthquake, claims had been of a "moderate size".
A 7.1 earthquake - also centred in Fiordland - resulted in 3300 claims at a cost of $12 million.
Mr Dixon urged owners to check properties, including holiday homes, for signs of damage as soon as possible, with people given three months to file a claim.
Queenstown's biggest earthquake casualty was the hydro-slide at Alpine Aqualand which was forced to close after a 2.5m-long crack was found.
Lakes Leisure facilities manager Cam Sheppard and aquatics manager Alex Calwell checked on the aquatic centre in Frankton after the earthquake and found water still slopping about "like a wave pool".
A crack found in the slow hydro-slide forced them to order it closed until it had been certified as structurally sound by engineers.
Mr Calwell said the centre would claim insurance on the damage.
One long crack in the wall of Speight's Alehouse will be preserved as an artefact from "the 'quake of '09"' rather than plastered up, manager Clark Frew said.
Aftershocks measuring over 5 on the Richter scale continue to jolt the Southland area, with one recorded at 4.13am measuring 5.3, a second at 5.27am at 5.6, a third at 10.18am at 5.5 and a fourth at 11.01am at 5.2.
Southland Civil Defence regional controller Neil Cruickshank said he was "concerned" people might become complacent regarding earthquakes, considering Wednesday's quake was the biggest recorded since 1931 and caused little damage.
"We have been grateful there has been little damage, but we hope people don't treat earthquakes lightly."
Mr Cruickshank told NZPA "that people in coastal communities need to be aware that the quake did generate a small tsunami on Wednesday night, and that the potential for a damaging tsunami exists with every large earthquake".
He suggested residents checked their emergency supplies and stocked up on essentials, such as batteries and bottled water this weekend.
