The weekend events calendar in the capital was shaken up by Friday's jolt and subsequent aftershocks.

Wracked with sobs, Doug Avery describes the last 20 terrifying, shaky hours living a few kilometres from the epicentre of Friday's big quake.

It takes more than a magnitude-6.6 earthquake and scores of aftershocks to keep Wellingtonians away from one of the most important dates on the social calendar - the Saturday morning opening day of Kirkcaldie and Stains' Once-A-Year sale.

Emergency workers reported a quiet night in Wellington despite aftershocks continuing to shake the city.

Call it luck or a spooky coincidence, but staff and students at a Wellington primary school were ready and waiting for yesterday's big earthquake.

I had been putting off going into the ANZ since it merged with my trusty old black stallion bank, the National Bank.

When the notion of housing part of Te Papa's collection on the Auckland waterfront was put forward a few years ago, it was well received. Nothing happened, however, to progress it past the status of a good idea.

Laura-Jean Kerslake stood screaming for her infant son in the doorway of her Seddon home as the walls crumbled around her.

The severe earthquake which rocked NZ this afternoon sent workers in Wellington running into the streets as the ground shook and buildings swayed from side to side.

People on the streets of Wellington react to this afternoon's 6.6 quake and aftershocks.

Wine bottles fall from shelves and displays during the 6.6 quake at Glengarry Wines in Kelburn, Wellington. Courtesy: Youtube.com/Glengarry Wine

Matt Boivin who was in a history lecture, recounts the moment when this afternoon's 6.6 quake hit in the Wellington region.

Staff at Voon Shop drop, cover and hold during the earthquake in Wellington. Courtesy: YouTube.com/Voon Wellington

Watch an animation of the last 48 hours of earthquakes from Wellington and Seddon from Wednesday 14 August to this afternoon's 3pm quake.

A severe earthquake has shaken the Wellington region this afternoon.

Click here for the latest updates on the earthquakes shaking the Wellington region this afternoon.

Massive forces bent faults below the Canterbury Plains, jolting a sleeping city awake at 4.35am. The other world - that occupied by animals - got an almighty fright too.

The Government has set a deadline of 20 years for assessing 193,000 buildings for earthquake risk and strengthening them.

The Government has set a deadline of 20 years for assessing 193,000 buildings for earthquake risk and strengthening them.

The board and investors in NZX-listed Goodman Property Trust struck an upbeat note at yesterday's annual meeting in Auckland.

Mount Tongariro has been rattled by numerous small earthquakes in the past few weeks, which could spark an increase in volcanic activity, GNS Science says.

A frenzied hysteria arose in Wellington following the "big one" two weeks ago.

Scientists are debating whether the source of more than 2200 quakes in the Wellington region over the past fortnight is an underwater extension of a South Island fault.

A series of aftershocks have rumbled across central New Zealand this morning, sparked by a strong magnitude 4.9 jolt near Seddon, Marlborough shortly before 1am.