A 5.9 tremor struck 5km south of Taumarunui at 4.51am last Saturday, and two weeks ago Southlanders were jolted by a late evening quake – also measuring 5.9 – 40km north of Te Anau.
Raumati woman Jenny Smith described last night’s quake as “a couple of real jolts”.
Others flocked to social media to share their experiences.
A Waikanae Beach resident wrote on Facebook that the quake delivered a “sharp jolt and rumble”.
Another person initially blamed their cat.
“I just hopped into bed. And then I felt shaking‚ the cat was on the bed. I thought he was itching and shaking the bed.”
The 4.6 magnitude earthquake struck near Porirua just after 11pm last night. Image / Geonet
Many described hearing the quake before feeling it, with a Kāpiti man noting the “phone alert went off same time as I heard [the earthquake].”
“Started with an audible bang before the shaking started,” one woman wrote on Facebook.
“Heard that one coming,” wrote another on X.
A Paraparaumu resident felt a “sharp jolt … and an alarm went off on my phone!”
“Wobble, wobble,” chipped in another.
A third opted for a stronger choice of words.
“F******g hell that one went boom!”
GeoNet’s shaking layers map for last night’s 4.6 magnitude earthquake, which was centred offshore 30km north-west of Porirua. Image / Geonet
Further north, a Whanganui resident described hearing a rumble before feeling “the swaying”.
“Just a small one.”
Others further away from the epicentre also reported minor effects, with a person in Blenheim writing on Facebook that they felt it, but “only just”.
“Gentle sway felt in Riwaka, Motueka”, wrote another.
And despite being close to the epicentre, the end-of-week slumber proved too deep for some.
“Missed it- Porirua”, one wrote.
Civil Defence reminded Kiwis earthquakes were a “good reminder to stay prepared”.
“Another shake tonight — this one located near Wellington and widely felt across parts of the motu”, it wrote on Facebook.
“Drop, Cover, and Hold remains the right action to take during an earthquake. If you’re in bed, remember to Stay, Cover, and Hold.
“Earthquakes are a good reminder to stay prepared — check your emergency supplies and talk with whānau or flatmates about what you’d do in a bigger event.”