Two minor earthquakes hit central parts of both main islands today.

King's School in Auckland is to replace its old boarding house and clock tower with a $30 million glass-fronted building with views of Rangitoto Island.

A magnitude 4.8 earthquake has struck off the coast of Kaikoura.

The South Island resort town of Wanaka has been rocked by a magnitude 4.1 earthquake tonight.

An Australian climber has savaged rescue efforts in the wake of a deadly earthquake that jolted Southeast Asia's highest peak.

Two small quakes struck just northwest of Gisborne last night.

A revised plan for the country to cope in an emergency has been approved by the Government.

Panic set in for the woman living closest to the epicentre of the quake which shook Otago on Monday night.

The 4.7-magnitude earthquake that rocked parts of Otago last night was believed to be the strongest experienced in the region since 1974.

It was the biggest earthquake to hit Britain in seven years, but people living near the epicentre in Kent would have been forgiven for not feeling the earth move yesterday.

An earthquake close to a small Alpine village in the Awatere Valley has been felt in Nelson, Marlborough and Christchurch this morning.

Mountaineer Peter Hillary, son of Everest conqueror Sir Ed, describes in vivid detail the impact of last month’s Nepal earthquake.

A day after new research into major "megathrust" earthquakes was revealed, a seismologist has been appointed as the first Professor of Earthquake Science at the University of Otago.

Scientists have uncovered evidence that two major earthquakes of the same type hit central New Zealand in the past 1000 years.

The 7.3 magnitude earthquake that hit Nepal on May 12, just weeks after the devastating 7.8 magnitude event, should be classed as an aftershock rather than a second earthquake.

A small quake has been felt near Seddon early this morning.

The first draft of quake-proof law was an over-reaction, but the revised version is practical and affordable.

A strong earthquake centred in Marlborough was felt as far away as Wellington this evening. GeoNet said the magnitude 4.6 quake happened 16km underground.

A Canterbury University student who led earthquake recovery efforts in Christchurch is heading to help in Nepal following Tuesday's quake.

The atmosphere in Kathmandu is one of fear and terror following the second major earthquake to hit Nepal, a Unicef official in the city says.

Aid workers are on high alert following the 7.3 magnitude earthquake that stuck Nepal yesterday.

New Zealanders volunteering in Nepal have spoken of the terror as a second massive earthquake struck the country.

A magnitude 7.3 earthquake hit Nepal today, with a number of powerful aftershocks also shaking the beleaguered nation.

Canterbury residents were shaken awake by an earthquake this morning, which followed two in the area overnight.

New Zealand engineers are on the way to Nepal to assess earthquake damage in the capital, Kathmandu.

New Zealand engineers are on the way to Nepal to assess earthquake damage in the capital Kathmandu.

Survivors of the avalanche at Everest Base Camp have described how an NZ-based doctor helped save the lives of 25 people, despite being wounded herself.

A new deadline of 50 years to strengthen earthquake-prone buildings will preserve Auckland's heritage areas, a trust that owns old buildings says.

Major changes to rules about quake-prone buildings have been announced, cutting the number of buildings requiring assessment from 500,000 to 30,000.