The centre of the country was shaken by a shallow 4.8 magnitude earthquake overnight.
Geonet says the short, sharp quake struck at 11.38pm and was centred 15km southwest of Wellington, at a depth of 13km.
More than 17,000 reports were received from people who felt the shake, according to the GeoNet site.
Many people in Wellington immediately took to social media to describe the quake, with one person saying it sounded like a truck crashing into their house.
Others described it as “sudden and violent”, saying it felt much stronger than magnitude 4.8. Many said they would struggle to go back to sleep after being woken by the jolt.
One woman said it was a “scary earthquake, long with big strong heavy booms”. Another said she lives near Lyall Bay beach and heard it rolling in from Cook Strait “a good few seconds before it hit”.
A number of Wellingtonians said it felt like two violent shakes in quick succession.
The quake was also heard and felt widely across the top of the South Island.
Civil Defence’s National Emergency Management Agency said the shake was a good reminder that earthquakes can occur anywhere at any time.
It encouraged people to learn what to do in a big quake, saying “Drop, Cover and Hold” is still the right action to take.
The quake was followed by a weaker, 2.5 magnitude shake at 11.59pm. It was centred in the same spot, at a depth of 12km.
The 19-year-old disappeared without her wallet or mobile phone.