More than 1.2 million people were expected to dive under their desks this morning, as the country prepared for what to do in an earthquake.
Almost 2000 schools and nearly as many businesses signed up for the Government-organised ``shakeout'' event which advised people what to do if a quake struck.
The message was to drop to your knees, cover your head and neck, crawl under a sturdy table, and hold onto it during the tremor.
The first shakeout was at 9.26am today.
Several schools and businesses across Rotorua took park including the children at Malfroy Primary School.