Insurance companies are refusing policies to new customers in central New Zealand after Sunday's 6.5 earthquake.

Former Christchurch resident Angela Senior and her three young daughters were in Marlborough for the school holidays when the Sunday evening quake hit.

At Wellington's post-earthquake rush-hour, its central business district was filled only with pigeons and lonely security guards.

Wellington's mayor is hopeful it will be business as normal tomorrow despite 35 buildings in the CBD found to have been externally damaged by yesterday's severe earthquake.

Scientists are deploying extra seismic instruments in Marlborough to enable more accurate measurement of the aftershocks off the coast of Seddon.

"Major journalistic fail," wrote one commenter after an American website reported yesterday's big quake was felt in Seddon -in Victoria, Australia.

Livestream of the media conference following the Wellington earthquake.

Buildings in Wellington's central city continue to be assessed for structural damage in the wake of a powerful earthquake that hit the middle of the country yesterday. The 6.5 magnitude quake, which struck in the Cook Strait just after 5pm, shattered windows, damaged facades, cracked a road and caused reclaimed waterfront land to fall into the harbour.

Residents of Seddon react to the earthquake and aftershocks that continue to plague Wellington and the top of the South Island after yesterday's 6.5 magnitude jolt which struck in the Cook Strait at 5.09pm. More than 100 aftershocks have been recorded since, including a 5.0 which hit 15km east of Seddon at 10.47 this morning.

Prime Minister says he's yet to get a briefing on how much yesterday's quake might have cost, but, in principle, the country can afford another big one.

NewstalkZB filmed inside the Seddon Town Hall which lost internal roofing during the 6.5 earthquake on Sunday.

Watch an animation of the last 48 hours of earthquakes from Wellington and Seddon from Saturday 9am to Monday 9am.

What you need to know today in the aftermath of yesterday's 6.5 quake which rattled the centre of the country.

Much of Wellington's CBD will be off limits this morning as streets and buildings remain closed following yesterday's big quakes and aftershocks.

The Herald's political editor Audrey Young says the Press Gallery hunts as a pack and panics as a pack during a quake.

The faultline causing earthquakes in Cook Strait has a history of producing "swarms" of quake.

Wellington commuter lines will remain closed tomorrow morning with no peak train services or bus replacements operating.

CCTV footage from Four Square store in Kelburn during the 6.5 earthquake that was felt in Wellington.

People recount their experience of the 6.5 earthquake that was felt across New Zealand.

Map of the most recent earthquakes to hit New Zealand.

Wellington and the top of the South Island have been hit by a 6.5 magnitude quake this afternoon.

Wellington and the top of the South Island were hit by a 6.5 magnitude quake on Sunday afternoon. The quake, which was centred 30km east of Seddon, the site of all the seismic activity in the last couple of days, was 11km deep.

Wellington and the top of the South Island have been hit by a 6.5 magnitude quake.

Wellington was shaken by more aftershocks overnight following a "severe" magnitude 5.7 earthquake that rocked the capital.

The magnitude 5.7 earthquake that rocked Wellington yesterday was followed by more than 20 aftershocks and GNS Science says more are to come.

More than 20 aftershocks have been felt since a "severe" magnitude 5.7 earthquake rocked Wellington and the upper South Island today, with more to come.

The Wellington region has been shaken by another strong quake this afternoon, after a 5.7 earthquake rocked the capital city this morning.

Builders are laying off staff and say they face economic ruin in Christchurch because insurance companies and Fletcher EQR are taking too long to approve earthquake work.