Mango tree dances like 'muppet' during quake, says Rotorua man

A New Zealand man saw a mango tree dancing like a "character from the muppets" during yesterday's powerful Indonesian earthquake.

Mike Jonathan, 35, and his Indonesian wife, Cinzia Puspita Rini, were in Jakarta on their way home from a Bali honeymoon when the 7.0 quake struck.

They had cut short their honeymoon after Mr Jonathan's sister died suddenly.

"I live in Rotorua where earthquakes are common but this earthquake was huge. It was so strong that it felt like you were standing on boat out at sea," he told stuff.co.nz in an email.

"The neighbour's house was swaying and I could hear cracking noises coming from the buildings."

He said a mango tree danced like a "character from the muppets" during the minute-long quake.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade said it was not aware of any New Zealanders injured or killed in the quake.

- NZPA