‘One hell of a shake’: Thousands feel major South Island earthquake

Friday, 17 July 2026

Aftershocks have rattled parts of the lower South Island following a large earthquake near Te Anau on Thursday night.

The 5.9 quake struck 53km deep about 40km north of Te Anau at 9.14pm. It was initially recorded at 6.3 before it was revised down.

Further earthquakes shook in the night, and authorities were continuing to assess damage and other impacts.

Geonet later recorded a weak 3.8 magnitude earthquake at 2.26am, 49km deep and 40km north of Te Anau, and a weak 4.0 magnitude earthquake at 4.50am, 39km deep and 45km north of Te Anau.

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The big first quake was felt widely across Southland, and across the lower South Island.

In Te Anau, Brian King felt the earthquake as “one hell of a shake” but told Stuff it didn’t spill his cup of tea.

A Queenstown resident told Stuff the quake was felt there as a “rolling for 45 seconds with a violent shake in the middle” and said her house was left swaying for some time after.

Sahara Fae was also in Queenstown during the quake and said it was “super scary”.

“Everything just started shaking and the ground sounded like it was going to break,” she told Stuff.

In Wanaka, Jan Burdon said the quake was one of the strongest she had felt in 60 years and Acton Smith said it was “a ripper” that shook the house for 40 seconds.

One resident of Bluff describing it as “a wee shake”.

Residents in Dunedin reported feeling the quake, with one saying online that it “rocked the flat” and sounded “like a truck driving down the path”.

Travel blogger Kiwidad Adventures was in a caravan in Dunedin when the quake hit and said it was “long and rolling, not violent”.

A student in Dunedin, Nevada Pilkington-Sharp, told Stuff she was “lying in bed ready to sleep when it started shaking, almost like it had turned into a waterbed”.

“Then the shaking briefly got more violent and I bolted out the door and followed my flatmates outside. When it kept going longer than I expected I turned to my flatmates and just said 'is it still going?'.”

Southland District Mayor Rob Scott is out of the district but said he had spoken to shaken-up residents of Te Anau. He said he not been made aware of any serious damage at this stage.

‘Potential hazards’ on the roads

NZTA said the road into Milford, State Highway 94, had been closed since 11pm on Thursday night due to “potential hazards”.

The transport agency said the way out of Milford remained open, and an assessment would be carried out on Friday morning.

The historic Edith Cavell Bridge near Queenstown had also been shut for inspections.

While no major damage has been reported, Queenstown Lakes District Council had closed the one-lane bridge over the Shotover River.

Motorists travelling over the Crown Range were also being urged to watch for possible rockfall or debris on the road.

Tsunami warning cancelled

The National Emergency Management Agency initially issued a tsunami warning for coastal areas but downgraded, and eventually cancelled it, after the strength of the quake was revised down.

It warned of strong and unusual current and unpredictable surges at the shore on the West Coast of the South Island from Milford Sound to Puysegur Point.

“Strong currents and surges can injure and drown people. There is a danger to swimmers, surfers, people fishing, and anyone in or near the water close to shore,” a statement read.

“People in or near the sea in the following areas should move out of the water, off beaches and shore areas and away from harbours, marinas, rivers and estuaries.”

Challenges getting information

Billy Williams, a long-time resident of Deep Cove in Doubtful Sound, was aware of the earthquake, which shook the hostel that he manages in the Fiordland National Park.

He had been struggling to access information from Civil Defence when he was told by Stuff of the initial evacuation alert issued at 9.38pm on Thursday.

'We might have to get the hell out of here.'

The lodge, which is a popular place for school camps, was only hosting a couple of workers at present.

Williams earlier said he would round the small population up, and head up the hill, away from the hostel which is around 20m above sea level.