Minor damage has been reported and roads have reopened following a widely-felt 5.9 magnitude quake which struck north of Te Anau last night.
The quake struck at 9.14pm, 40km north of Te Anau, sparking an evacuation warning for coastal areas, which was cancelled around half an hour later.
More than 20,000 people reported feeling the quake, which had a depth of 51km.
Te Anau residents Diane Holmes and Phil Allport say they're counting the cost of the overnight earthquake after discovering cracks throughout their home and lodging an insurance claim.
"We were just sitting on the couch watching The Rookie when Phil said, 'I think there's a quake coming' — then boom, everything started moving," Holmes told 1News.
The earthquake had dominated conversation across the town, she added.
"Everywhere you go, that's all anybody wants to talk about — where they were, what they felt, whether they've got cracks in their walls."
In Queenstown, the Edith Cavell Bridge reopened shortly after 8.30am after being closed overnight while inspections were carried out.
The council also advised people travelling over the Crown Range to drive carefully and be alert for rocks or debris that may have fallen onto the road as a result of the earthquake.
Homer Tunnel inspected
A tsunami warning was initially issued after the strong earthquake near Te Anau (Source: Pat and Chewie on BHN). (Source: Breakfast)
State Highway 94 to Milford was also temporarily closed while NZTA inspected the Homer Tunnel and surrounding area for potential hazards. The route reopened at about 10.45am after the inspections were completed.
Milford Road Alliance manager Kevin Thompson said the priority was ensuring the route was safe before reopening it to traffic.
"The helicopter survey gave us a good indication that there wasn't a lot hanging up or above the road that we needed to be concerned about," he said.
Thompson said monitoring systems also showed vehicles safely leaving Milford Sound after the quake, giving crews confidence the road remained passable while inspections were carried out.
More detailed inspections will continue over the next few days, including closer checks of bridges and the Homer Tunnel, but Thompson said crews were keen to minimise disruption on one of the country's busiest tourist routes.
"The key thing for us was to do our work, get the road back open, so we don't affect the businesses in and around Milford, and of course our customers who want to see Milford Sound."
The morning's headlines in 90 seconds, including a strong quake rocks the south, and the rescue of a man stuck in a portaloo. (Source: Breakfast)
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