I've decided I'm not really a fan of earthquakes

We could feel it all the way down here in Chch. It wasn't very strong. Just like the last time, it felt like an unbalanced washing machine. But this one was long ... 10 or 15 seconds, which is an eternity, believe me.

Major damage reports after quake rocks NZ.

The earthquake, which was more powerful than the 1987 Edgecumbe earthquake, was centred 50 kilometres south of Gisborne at a depth of 40 kilometres. But the Edgecumbe quake was much shallower than tonight's quake.

Inspector James Taare said police have received reports of major damage after the earthquake but do not know if anyone was injured.

He said no tsunami warnings had been issued.

Stuff.co.nz readers report the earthquake was felt strongly in in Wellington, Bleheim and Nelson and tremors were reported further down the South Island including Christchurch, Dunedin and Hokitika on the west coast.

Dennis Munro of Kohitane Farm near Wairoa reported extensive damage to his farmhouse, including a toppled chimney, cracks in the walls and a collapsed kitchen ceiling.

No one in the house was injured, but all were shocked, Mr Munro said. His family were not staying at the house tonight because of the extent of the damage.

The house was a "real mess" and even christmas gifts were destroyed, he said.

Gisborne resident Jennifer Caughy said the earthquake had caused a gas leak in Gladstone Road and a strong smell of gas.

She said worried residents were leaving their homes and heading for higher ground in case of a tsunami.

National MP Craig Foss, who lives at Waimarama on the Hawke's Bay coast said his "whole house seemed to rock for ages.

"Our youngest, five years old, was woken by the quake and noise and we all stood under an internal door frame. I am sure the lights dimmed just before the quake hit. It seemed to go on for a long time.

"There was a lot of creaking and groaning. Our home seemed to take a long time to settle down and stop moving."

A Napier reader reported their phones went down temporarily and glasses fell out of their cabinets.

Callan Attwell of the Capital and Coast District Health Board said in an email: "Everyone in theatre in the Wellington hospital felt it."

Telephones in the Gisborne area are currently down.

Alarms were set off in Lower Hutt by the quake, Hutt resident Amanda Botha said.

The earthquake was also strongly felt in the Eastern Bay of Plenty.