The threat of tsunami activity off the West Coast has passed, following this afternoon's 6.8 earthquake off the coast of Southland.
Civil Defence had ruled out a threat to land, but warned for caution on the coastline as "strong and unusual currents" were detected after the quake and aftershocks.
However, a statement issued just after 8pm advised that threat had now passed.
The 2.43pm earthquake, which was centred off the south-west coast of Tuatapere, was widely felt across Southland and Otago where people reported buildings shaking.
Stewart Island's Halfmoon Bay School principal Kath Johnson said two classes of children "bailed underneath the desks" as the quake hit.
Widespread reports of aftershocks have since been logged with GeoNet.
Updates are being published on www.civildefence.govt.nz.
Geonet reported the earthquake happened at 2.43pm.
"The quake was 33 kilometres deep and the shaking was strong close to the quake," GeoNet said.
Felt reports were logged all over the South.
Strong shaking was felt in Invercargill, Queentown, Te Anau and Dunedin.
"We are from Wallacetown near Invercargill and the quake was strong. Felt like a rolling earthquake not sharp but long," Tania Hughes said.
Levi Swatridge said the earthquake was felt on Stewart Island.
''No damage but definitely noticeable shaking and noise."
Tania Hughes felt it in Wallacetown, near Invercargill, and described the quake as "strong".
"Felt like a rolling earthquake, not sharp but long."
In Cromwell, Glenys Wing said it "felt creepy as it went for so long".
She said there was rocking, before it "eased and came back again".
Olivia Clegg felt the quake in Dunedin's Phillip Laing building, saying it was the first one she had ever felt.
"Was the strangest wobble/sway on my chair for about 10 secs."
There was also "a decent wobble" felt in Dunedin Hospital, an ODT reader said.
An Otago Daily Times worker in Invercargill said staff all left the building when the shaking was felt.
Other readers reported feeling the quake in Balclutha, Waikiwi, Manapouri, Alexandra and Clyde.
'We bailed underneath the desks'
Halfmoon Bay School principal Kath Johnson said the children outside in the school’s swimming pool did not feel the shake, while the children indoors did.
‘‘The other two classes were a bit shaken and we all bailed underneath the desks.’’
Ms Johnson said the school did not go into evacuation process because the quake happened close to 3pm.
‘‘We weren’t entirely sure, but we thought that we would gauge in on the fact that nothing fell off the shelves."
The school had not received any text alerts.
‘‘Everyone around the bay is still going about their business, so we made the call not to evacuated to the high ground,’’ she said.
Stewart Island lay approximately 100km from Snares Island, the quake’s epicentre.
A long-time Island resident Bruce Ford said it took a few seconds for the earthquake to register with them as there were no warning signs at all.
‘‘Of course, you think twice whether in fact you’re imagining whether it’s a machine going past on the road.
‘‘There was a double rumble and things started to shake and it felt like the train was coming past.’’
‘‘Some of the pictures have moved around a bit. They’re all off-square now. But Mr Ford said the lady outside working in his garden did not feel the shaking. Earthquakes always had uncertainty with them.
‘‘You’re not to know where the big wave comes from next.’’
At the time he was speaking with the Otago Daily Times the island had not received any civil defence warnings. But an alarm could be heard coming from the direction of the school.
‘‘There's been nothing in the way of warnings around town. They had practice warnings at one occasion with the police driving around making noise and sirens and stuff like that. So there's not been any of that.
‘‘Emergency management is supposed to press a button somewhere if [there was an tsunami risk]
‘‘It wouldn’t need to be much man that that, and I’d have been [evacuating] in the car.’’ he said.
- Additional reporting by Toni MacDonald
