"A M6.1 earthquake caused a long and strong shake felt widely across the North Island and Marlborough region. We received over 61k felt reports. No tsunami is expected," Geonet tweeted.
The epicenter of the quake was around 31 miles northwest of the town of Paraparaumu and the depth was around 35 miles.
The monitor also advised people to stay focused and act with caution in the event of aftershocks.
No injuries or damage were reported.