Two widely felt earthquakes in little more than a week have served as a reminder that while some parts of New Zealand shake more often than others, no region is immune.
A magnitude 5.9 earthquake struck near Taumarunui just before 5am on Saturday and was felt by more than 23,000 people across the North and South Island.
Earth Sciences New Zealand seismologist Sam Taylor-Offord said while smaller earthquakes had occurred in the area before, nothing the size of Saturday's quake had previously been recorded.
"This region is behind where most of the active tectonics are happening, which means that earthquakes are less common,” he explained.
"Earthquakes do happen, but there just tends to be a much longer time between these moderate or larger earthquakes, compared to other parts of the country."
The tremor came just over a week after a magnitude 5.9 earthquake struck near Te Anau in Fiordland, which rattled homes across Otago, Southland and parts of Canterbury.
Despite the two earthquakes being similar in size, Taylor-Offord said the two events were unrelated.
"We live in New Zealand. We will get more earthquakes," he said. “Where they will happen is more or less anywhere in the country."
Saturday's earthquake was followed by dozens of aftershocks — nearly 80 recorded by late morning, ranging from magnitude 1 to 4.
Taylor-Offord said aftershocks could continue for weeks or even months, although they would become less frequent and less intense over time.
'An earthquake will occur anywhere, anytime'
Straddling the boundary of the Pacific and Australian tectonic plates, New Zealand is one of the world's most seismically active countries.
While areas such as Wellington and the eastern North Island experience earthquakes more frequently, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) director of Civil Defence management John Price said earthquakes could happen anywhere in the country.
"There are obviously some places that are more receptive to earthquakes, but there's nowhere that's potentially not," he told 1News.
"The key message for people to remember is an earthquake will occur anywhere, anytime in New Zealand."
Price encouraged households to have an emergency plan, know where they would go and ensure they had enough essential supplies to get through the first few days after a major earthquake.
He added the biggest mistake many people made when it came to earthquake preparedness was becoming complacent.
"These events are just a timely reminder to stay alert,” he said.
How to respond
NEMA said the safest thing to do during an earthquake was to drop, cover and hold.
Dropping onto your hands and knees helped prevent being knocked over, the agency said, while covering your head and neck under a sturdy table or desk shielded you from falling objects. People should hold on until the shaking stopped.
Price also urged people not to rush outside while the ground was shaking.
"It's not like a fire. Outside there are dangers as well," he said.
NEMA said people should only leave a building during the shaking if it was showing obvious signs of distress. If they were already outside, they should move away from buildings, trees and power lines.
"If you see ground movement or something doesn't look right, don't go near it. Call the council or the authorities," Price added.
The agency also warned people to watch for hazards such as landslides, particularly in areas that had experienced both heavy rain and strong shaking.
For those near the coast, NEMA reminded people that earthquakes could generate tsunamis.
"If the shaking is long, or strong, people should get gone."
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