The midnight earthquake affected people up and down New Zealand - followed by ongoing strong and severe aftershocks.
Here are the latest photos from around the country.
An aerial view of earthquake damage and slips around Kaikoura. Photo: Garden City Helicopters
A house at Bluff Station between Blenheim and Kaikoura, which is right on the Kekerengu fault line, was demolished by the shakes. Photo: RNZ / Alex Perrottet
A large slip is easily visible from the air around Kaikoura. Photo: Garden City Helicopters
Damage at Wellington's CentrePort after the 7.5 quake hit near Hanmer Springs. Photo: RNZ / Phil Pennington
The Massey University campus in Wellington was closed. Photo: RNZ / John Gerritsen
Earthquake damage on Wakefield Street in central Wellington. Photo: RNZ / Susie Ferguson
Four Square Culverden owner Andrew Whittleston is thankful he's got a generator to keep his frozen goods on ice with power yet to be restored to the town. Photo: RNZ / Conan Young
Road damage near Kaikoura Photo: Twitter / @lou_gordongreen
Items tumbled off the shelves in a central Wellington store. Photo: RNZ / Alexa Cook
Lines company working to restore power in North Canterbury Photo: RNZ / Conan Young
Damage on the state highway just before Hanmer Springs Photo: RNZ / Conan Young
Hundreds of people moved to higher ground on Mount Victoria, Wellington. Photo: RNZ / Rebekah Parsons-King
Broken glass in Wakefield Street in Wellington. Photo: RNZ / Rebekah Parsons-King
Broken glass on Cable St from an apartment building Photo: RNZ / Rebekah Parsons-King
Mannekins at The Good Vibes store on Manners St in Wellington were not left standing. Photo: RNZ / John Gerritsen
Victoria Greenwood-Loose and Lexie Loose at the Tua Marina Memorial Hall in Marlborough, which was set up as a Civil Defence welfare centre. Photo: RNZ / Tracy Neal
A pane of glass smashed from a window of an inner-city building on The Terrace in Wellington. Photo: RNZ / Rebekah Parsons-King
Cars in the Wellington suburb of Mt Victoria after the earthquake. Photo: RNZ / Rebekah Parsons-King
Displaced Wellington residents Kenny Yeh, Daniel Sik and Alex Laing. Photo: RNZ / Rebekah Parsons-King
Evacuees at Amberley Pavillion, in North Canterbury, where a community welfare centre was set up in after the midnight earthquake. Photo: Conan Young /RNZ
The quake threw groceries off shelves and broke wine bottles at the Culverden Four Square. Photo: RNZ / Conan Young
The road towards Seddon has been closed. Photo: RNZ / Tracy Neal