More than 15,000 people from Auckland to Bluff reported feeling yesterday's 6.2 quake - but it hardly registered with those living right near the epicentre.
The quake struck 25km southwest of Taumaranui. Photo: Google Street View
The quake struck 25km southwest of Taumaranui in the central North Island at 3.13pm.
Read more on the quake:
- 'It was a long earthquake, it wasn't a jolt'
- How Kiwis cope with a big quake
- Taumarunui quake: 'A lovely rocking and rolling'
- Quake shake: What New Zealanders had to say about it
Not that anyone in the small King Country town, population circa 5000, seemed to have noticed.
Early on a Tuesday evening the Taumarunui RSA's quiz night was the only show in town.
But no one was swapping tales of shaking buildings or people diving under tables, certainly not truck driver Dan.
"I didn't feel a thing. Hang on record this," he said, breaking into snoring noises.
"No one here felt it, bro," he said. "I was in Otorohanga, but no one felt it at all. I was just driving a truck and jumped out and felt nothing, nothing at all."
Taumarunui RSA manager John Callinan Photo: RNZ / Robin Martin
RSA manager John Callinan backed him up.
"I can quite honestly tell you that in the RSA we never felt a thing. Not one thing. Other places did. We didn't.
"TMP Fashions felt their windows going in and out, one of my chefs had their house rattling, a couple of people here at the quiz had things rattling, but overall yeah not much."
RSA chef, Donna, busy with a steak the size of a small country, did at least admit to feeling the earthquake.
"Yes I did. I was at home," she said. "It was only a little one."
According to the experts it is not unusual for a quake this deep, at 207km, to be felt more strongly far from the epicentre than it is at ground zero.
Victoria University geophysics professor John Townend said not only Taumarunui but Bay of Plenty and Hamilton experienced very little shaking.
"Other places, including where I am in Wellington, we felt quite strong shaking that went on for quite some time.
"It just depends where you are in relation to the earthquake and what sort of rock your building or your location is built on."
No damage or injuries were reported yesterday, but the Earthquake Commission is advising people to check homes for any damage they may have missed initially. People have 90 days to lodge a claim with the state-owned insurer.
