A minor volcanic eruption has occurred on White Island, 50km off the coast of Whakatane. The volcanic alert was level 3.

Aftershocks have continued to shake the North Island after it was hit by one of its biggest earthquakes in decades.

Reports of damaged homes are starting to come following this morning's 7.1 quake which triggered a tsunami warning, closed schools and temporarily stopped trains.

The New Zealand Transport Agency is asking motorists in the Eastern Bay of Plenty to be aware of the risk of rock-falls and slips after the earthquake and aftershocks this morning.

The strength of this morning's 7.1 earthquake centred off the East Coast cut power to 1000 homes in Eastern Bay of Plenty.

This morning's M7.1 quake is the biggest to hit the north of the North Island in more than 20 years, when a M7.2 quake struck in a similar spot in 1995.

If you live in the East coast of the North Island, including Auckland, Waikato and Bay of Plenty and the upper South Island here's what you need to know.

Civil Defence has cancelled the tsunami warning issued for the North Coast Regions of the North Island following this morning's 7.1 magnitude quake.

Much of the North Island was shaken awake this morning with a magnitude 7.1 earthquake felt from Northland to Wellington.

As Boy actor James Rolleston drifted in and out of consciousness after a crash which almost cost him his life, he was encouraged by his mate.

This morning New Zealanders welcomed home the history-making Kiwi Rio Olympics team.

Benji Marshall's time at the Dragons appears all but over, and his storied NRL career might also be at an end.

Triple Olympic medallist Lisa Carrington will lead the New Zealand team at today's Rio Olympics' closing ceremony.

Sarah Walker has been elected to the International Olympic Committee's athletes' commission after all.

A mother and daughter who had to be winched out of the forest they were lost in "did all the right things," according to Land Search

One of champion kayaker Lisa Carrington's biggest supporters was certain to be watching down from above.

WATCH: Lisa Carrington has joined an elite list of New Zealand Olympians this morning after winning a bronze medal in the K1 500m canoe sprint.

A newborn baby has been flown to hospital with serious head injuries.

One of New Zealand's longest-standing mayors went to a rival candidate's home in his mayoral car and told him the region could save $50,000 if he continued in office unopposed.

A volunteer firefighter who was at the scene of the crash that left James Rolleston in intensive care has described how "half the bridge" ended up in the car.

A Tauranga commercial fisherman has been convicted and fined $3000 for deliberately driving his vehicle at a fishery officer who had

Injured 'Boy' actor James Rolleston is still in a stable condition at Waikato Hospital's intensive care unit after a car crash on Tuesday night.

Actor James Rolleston has been transferred to Waikato Hospital and is in a stable condition in the Intensive Care Unit.

Two young children rescued from bush in Te Urewera after going missing for two nights are being treated, police say.

The woman and children missing in rugged North Island bush for three days were in warm clothes but it is unclear how much food - if any - they had with them.

Whakatane police are looking for a masked man who robbed a dairy this afternoon armed with a knife.

A distraught mother screamed in fear as a man stole her car with her infant son asleep in the back, a court has heard.

Tai Mitchell rugby returns for its 75th edition this Friday when Tauranga West will try to defend their title at Opotiki's Memorial

Icy conditions have been blamed for at least three crashes between Rotorua and Whakatane this morning.