A person in Gore said on social media that they felt a “wee rattle” about 3.30pm.
“When you are sitting, you feel them.”
Another reported feeling a “small earthquake” in Alexandra.
A late-night quake also rattled thousands across the middle of the country.
The 4.6 magnitude earthquake struck at 11.09pm yesterday and was centred offshore 30km northwest of Porirua, GeoNet said.
It was 38km deep and almost 9000 “felt” reports have been logged from people in the bottom half of the North Island, including in Wellington, Taranaki and Manawatū, and across the upper South Island.
Some as far north as Auckland and as far south as Christchurch reported feeling the shake.
It comes after a magnitude 5.9 quake near Te Anau shook locals on July 16.
Scientists said at the time it had not significantly altered the likelihood of a major Alpine Fault rupture.