KEY POINTS:
A strong quake was felt in Wellington and Christchurch this morning.
The earthquake measuring 5.6 on the Richter scale and centred 40km north of Hanmer Springs was recorded at 8.15am.
It was at a depth of 70km.
GNS seismologist Bryan Field said the quake was moderate and may have caused some minor damage.
"It's no way near the massive ones we had down south last week. Just minor damage, like Grandma's vase falling off the shelf," Mr Field said.
He said this morning's earthquake is not connected to the one that hit Auckland Island on Sunday or the series that have hit Matata.
More than 1300 people reported feeling the quake on the GNS website in the first two hours hour after the quake.
People from Ashburton, on the West Coast and as far north as Napier and Taranaki have reported feeling the quake.
Les Harris from the Hanmer Springs fire station said the quake lasted about five or six seconds.
"There was just a rumbling than a sharp jolt followed by rolling," Mr Harris said.
He said there have been no calls of damage.
A woman at the Four Square in Hanmer Springs said some items fell off shelves during the quake and GNS Science said it was "widely felt in the South Island".
A Murchison resident describes hearing a terrific noise followed by a shake. The earthquake was also felt in Reefton, where it has been described as delivering a prolonged shake.
The earthquake is the second large tremor in the past week.
On Sunday, a 7.4 magnitude earthquake was felt in Stewart Island, Invercargill and Dunedin after it hit about near the Auckland Islands.
The Ruapehu eruption was accompanied by a seven minute earthquake, measuring 2.9 on the Richter scale.
A series of tremors has also hit the Matata area in recent days, some of them above 4 on the Richter scale..
This morning's earthquake is the biggest to hit the New Zealand mainland this year, said Mr Field.
He said there have now been 11 earthquakes over 5.0 on the Richter scale in 2007.
- NZ HERALD STAFF, NEWSTALK ZB
