One New Plymouth resident told the Herald he woke at exactly 4.53am to the whole house rocking and was laying in bed “swaying back and forth with the house”.

Dozens of Aucklanders have taken to social media, saying they felt early morning shaking in areas including Papakura, Hunua, Waitara and Karaka.

Manawatū-Whanganui Emergency Management Group has advised there have been multiple aftershocks, which are expected to continue throughout the morning.

Emergency services and roading crews are assessing the situation, but a fuller view of any impacts is unlikely to be available until daylight.

If there is property damage, people should take notes and photographs for insurance purposes. If people are renting, they should contact their landlord and contents insurance company as soon as possible.

If people are in danger or there's risk to life, they've been told to call 111.

In the Ohakune region, one person described it as a "very severe shake" that woke them, while another in Raglan "said upstairs in an apartment, with the room shaking quite significantly".

Another compared it to the shaking felt in the 2016 Kaikōura earthquakes: "That felt huge here in Midhirst. The whole house shook for some time. Haven’t felt one like that since the big Kaikōura earthquake."

Ruapehu District Council Mayor Weston Kirton, who has lived in the area his whole life, said this quake was a lot more "direct" compared to the "small ones off and on" the district experiences.

"Lights were shaking and a couple of photos were flattened and yeah so it was definitely one of those events that will always be remembered.

"Check on people to see whether they're safe and how it's impacted on them, individuals will be fearful of what's to come, if at all."

Kirton said the council is checking on infrastructure and will provide community support where needed. 

He said he was surprised he didn't hear any fire alarms in the area.

A slip has forced the closure of State Highway 3 at Awakino Gorge, between Mokau and Piopio, just before 5.30am.

New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) says an onsite Geotech assessment will take place later this morning and has asked people to avoid the area.

State Highways 4 and 43 remain alternatives, with people being urged to drive to the conditions "following the earthquake near Taumarunui overnight in addition to rain in those areas".

One woman described her horror on social media.

"It was a violent earthquake, wouldn't of wanted to of gone on much more before it started smashing things. Been over 30 aftershocks already some as shallow as 3km deep."