Earthquake, aftershocks rattle South Island, damage to be assessed at daylight

The state highway into Milford has been partly closed while damage is assessed after a strong earthquake last night near Te Anau.

Aftershocks continued to rattle the region overnight following the quake, which initially measured magnitude 6.3 before being revised down to 5.9.

It struck 40km north of Te Anau at 9.14pm at a depth of 53km. GeoNet received more than 20,000 reports of the quake.

A tsunami warning was issued and evacuations ordered for coastal areas, before the National Emergency Management Agency cancelled the order, saying the tsunami threat had passed.

State Highway 94 from Te Anau to Milford is closed to inbound traffic “due to potential hazards post-earthquake”, the NZ Transport Agency’s website says this morning. Outbound traffic is not affected.

The road will stay closed until it has been inspected during daylight hours, with a possible opening mid-morning.

The Edith Cavell Bridge has also been closed as a precaution until it can be inspected at first light, Queenstown Lakes District Council said.

“If you’re travelling over the Crown Range, please drive carefully and be alert for rocks or debris that may have fallen onto the road as a result of the earthquake.”

Homes damaged in quake

Numerous cracks have appeared in houses after last night’s quake, with Fiordland Community Board’s chairwoman set to call her insurer after counting around 20 in her house’s walls, ceiling and plaster.

Colleagues’ and neighbours’ homes also suffered cracking, Diane Holmes told Herald Now’s Ryan Bridge Today.

She described being “rattled around quite a lot” with pendulum lights swinging wildly and model airplanes in the garage being damaged - “It was certainly a good shakeup”.

Southland Mayor Rob Scott told RNZ on Thursday night apart from minor damage to homes the region appeared to have escaped relatively unscathed.

Overnight, further weak shaking was recorded, including a magnitude 4.0 quake just before 5am, according to Geonet.

‘Hang on, it’s an earthquake’

Newstalk ZB broadcaster Marcus Lush was left stunned when the earthquake rocked his Invercargill studio during last night’s live broadcast.

The Marcus Lush Nights host was on-air with a caller just after 9pm when the shaking began.

“There’s some sort of ... Hang on, hang on, hang on. It’s an earthquake,” he stammered as the walls rattled.

“It’s still shaking.”

The veteran host was heard joking with listeners: “Yeah, quite a big one ... I will survive.

“I’ll just try to work out whether I stay on deck or just tap out,” he said later during the exchange.

“What do I do ... do I stay ... Guess [there’s] really not much option,” Lush quipped to his producers as he stayed ensconced behind the microphone.

The show quickly turned into an impromptu earthquake call centre as listeners rang in to describe what they had experienced.

An Invercargill listener said the “sudden jolt” left the weights on his grandfather clock banging and his lights swaying.

A listener in Mosgiel said she was winding down for the night when the quake struck.

“I was shaking on my bed reading my book and I was shaking back and forth,” she said.

“[It] reminded me of the Christchurch quake, that’s why I rang up. I thought ‘Oh goodness’.”

Another caller from Dunedin said the shaking sent their indoor birds “a bit insane”, although their dogs barely reacted.

Lush told listeners it was only the second time in his 20-year broadcasting career that an earthquake had struck while he was on air.

“I’ve only had one other time it’s been on air, so yeah, that was a real shock,” he said.