Strong earthquake rattles South Island

BY DAVID WILLIAMS

A strong earthquake in Fiordland sparked a 90-minute tsunami alert and rattled much of the South Island last night but appeared to have caused little damage, authorities said.

The alert from the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre in Hawaii was issued for southern New Zealand soon after the 7.8 magnitude quake struck in Fiordland 100 kilometres north-west of Tuatapere, Southland, about 12 kilometres deep at 9.22pm. Centre oceanographer Nathan Becker said the alert was cancelled an hour and a half later, once it was clear there was no threat.

A tide gauge in Jackson Bay, on the West Coast, showed only a 17cm swell, while a buoy in the Tasman Sea showed only a 5cm deflection in normal sea level.

A 6.1 magnitude aftershock was registered by GNS Science about 20 minutes after the main quake this time at sea 150km west of Tuatapere, at a depth of 5km.

While the two quakes were a long way from any towns, Southland Civil Defence Emergency Management Group public information manager Eirwen Tulett said phones went down in east Invercargill, while power was out to Otatara, on the outskirts of the city.

"It's been a jolly good shake, this earthquake, but not particularly damaging."

The Southland District Council said there had been no reports of problems in the Milford-Te Anau area.

Tulett said Environment Southland would put a helicopter up this morning to check if the quake had triggered any landslides.

The Fire Service said the quake caused a water main to break in Winton, 31km north of Invercargill.

The quake was was felt strongly in Dunedin, Invercargill and Timaru and to a lesser extent as far north as Wellington.

In central Christchurch it was felt as a long, rolling motion.

A GNS website appeal asking people to record their experiences appeared to have been overloaded.

Central Southland man Warren MacPherson said a hanging light in his house would have been swaying "a good six inches [15 centimetres] each way".

He was on the phone when the quake struck and rushed outside.

"By geez, there was a fair bit of movement," he said.

Invercargill police inspector Olaf Jensen said there were no immediate reports of damage around the city, but the quake was significant enough to send staff into doorways.

He described it was a strong, rolling quake rather than a sharp jolt.

Neither the Manapouri Power Station or Tiwai Point Aluminium Smelter reported damage but further assessments would be made today.

Te Anau helicopter pilot Mark Deaker said he saw power lines arcing and sparks flying in the air.

"It was rocking and rolling," Queenstown resident Darrin Cole said.

"It was shaking the whole bed."

Cole said the quake was probably not as violent as a 6.7 magnitude earthquake off Fiordland in October 2007, but was just as long.

Queenstown Lakes District Council emergency management officer Brenden Winder said the quake was "a bit of a roll more than a shake".

Winder, who was at a restaurant in the central business district when the quake hit, said there had been no reports of damage in Queenstown.

Pat Coats, the manageress of Tuatapere's Waiau Hotel, said nothing fell down but she had noticed a few cracks in the walls of the ageing building.

"It was a really good one I've never felt one anything like that," she said. "There was a double cab ute outside and you could hear it going up and down on the springs."

News of the quake was quickly picked up by world media, with reports appearing within the hour on BBC, CNN and Sky News websites.

- © Fairfax NZ News