A magnitude-6.5 earthquake struck near Taupo this afternoon and was felt widely throughout the country. File photo / NZ Herald
A deep seated earthquake measuring magnitude 6.5 struck central New Zealand on Tuesday, but there were no reports of damage or injuries.
The Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences said the tremor of magnitude 6.5 struck at 3.36 p.m. (0336 GMT).
The government institute said it was centred 30 kms (18 miles) east of the holiday town of Taupo, close to the volcanically active area of Mount Ruapehu.
The quake was 150 km below ground level.
New Zealand scientists record around 14,000 earthquakes a year, of which on average around 20 top magnitude 5.0.
The country has been more alert to earthquakes since the South Island city of Christchurch, was struck by two devastating quakes in September last year and in February this year. The latter killed 181 people and caused an estimated NZ$15 billion of damage.
The Prime Minister's press secretary, Lesley Hamilton, said the quake was felt strongly on the ninth floor of the Beehive.
Briar Charmley, private secretary for the Attorney-General on the 19th floor of Bowen House in downtown Wellington, said the building swayed more than in any previous earthquake she had felt in her 12 months in the office.
Others compared the quake given to the 2.9 magnitude shock that struck Auckland on Friday.
"Aucklanders make a big deal over a 2.9 that felt like a gust of wind all over the news. Wellingtonians brush off a 6.5," Keegan Check said.
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