Communities in tsunami zones on the east coast of the North Island have been scrambling to move to safety, with civil leaders urging residents keep up-to-date with news and alerts.
Residents on Great Barrier Island on higher ground after receiving the tsumani warning. Photo: RNZ / Ella Stewart
The second and third earthquakes to hit off the New Zealand coast have prompted the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to issue another tsunami warning. The most recent and biggest quake - a 8.1 magnitude seismic event which happened near the Kermadec Islands.
People in the east coast of the North Island from the Bay of Islands to Whangārei, from Matata to Tolaga Bay, including Whakatāne and Ōpōtiki and Great Barrier Island must move immediately higher ground. So too those on the west coast of the North Island, from Cape Reinga to Ahipara.
Those in all Auckland coastal areas must stay away from beaches, harbours and estuaries.
"What we know is this is the third significant earthquake this morning and it is concerning. We have now issued a national warning tsunami threat and we do anticipate there is a risk to some coastal areas of New Zealand," NEMA acting director Roger Ball said.
Whangārei CBD was being evacuated before 9am this morning, with people standing on Bank Street, away from the town basin and tsunami zones like Port Rd. Emergency alert messages had already been received by residents.
Sirens in coastal areas have been used.
National Party deputy leader Dr Shane Reti, on high ground in Whangarei, said he could see the sea going out at 11am.
"The sand bars have re-appeared suggesting that in the harbour the tide may have gone out. We're just wondering if that's an early signal there is some surge coming our way possibly," he said.
Whangārei Mayor Sheryl Mai told Morning Report: "I've checked that everybody has received the message, I received the alert on my own phone and I'm just now ensuring that everybody to receive the message to move immediately to high ground, if they are in a tsunami evacuation zone.
"The most important thing is everyone is listening to their radio, taking in and receiving the notices on their phones," she added.
Traffic has been busy in Whangārei as people moving to high ground.
Graeme MacDonald, spokesperson for Northland Civil Defence Emergency Management (CDEM), said the police and fire service were on the ground and urged people to use common sense when moving to safe locations.
"If you're stuck in a traffic jam and look like you're going to be there for a while, you should perhaps park their vechicle on the side of the road and move on foot."
Head of Coastguard Rob McCaw said boaties already at sea should head to deeper water and stay there until further notice. Anyone on a boat in a marina should get on shore and head to higher ground, he added.
Whangārei Cruising Club secretary Lois Skelton, who was at the club in the harbour, said the sea looked quiet and had been people out in the waters possibly trying to secure their dinghys after the alert.
Hundreds of people have moved to the top of Waitangi Golf Club in the Bay of Islands.
Chief executive at the Waitangi National Trust, Greg McManus, said half the population of Paihia was at the Golf Club.
McManus says there has been a steady stream of boats sailing out to the open sea following safety advices.
Refining NZ says the Marsden Point oil refinery site has been safely evacuated. Oil refining operations at the refinery were already shutdown.
Far North Mayor John Carter told Nine-to-Noon he was in his car evacuating the township of Waipapakauri Beach, north of Kaitaia.
Carter said people were responding promptly to the warnings.
"The tsunami siren is already going here... One of the things this village has learned is that when the tsunami warning goes off that we evacuate up to the point of our school, I'll head up there shortly," he said.
RNZ reporter Nita Blake-Persen was at Pataua South north of Whangārei and said there had been a steady stream of traffic since the alert.
"People who were on the school run when those alerts came, some of those people are being trying to get back to get pets, but almost everyone I've spoken to left as soon as those alerts came through, up to higher ground," she said.
Whakatāne Mayor Judy Turner said the town is evacuating and they were fortunate they could get to higher ground quickly, although some were also heading inland.
Whakatāne Mayor Judy Turner. Photo: RNZ / Dom Thomas
She was aware of some traffic jams in the town as people tried to leave as quickly as possible.
"Right now where I am, there are cars everywhere and everybody's trying to create parking spaces so people can pull over and stop. It's pretty congested."
For people in town there are two options, she said: move up into Hillcrest or Mokoroa and there was plenty of space or else head inland out towards Taneatua or Awatere in the Rotorua direction.
She advised people to choose the direction that was easiest to access.
Turner said schools had good evacuation plans and it would be better for parents not to turn back to fetch their children. "The schools will be doing the very best that they can."
She was one of hundreds of people who headed to the hills after the 7.1 earthquake.
Shane Salter and his wife, Rebecca, run Murphy's camping ground which is on the coast at Matata in the Bay of Plenty.
Shane Salter said they had safely evacuated and saw plenty of people on the move.
They had around 20 campers staying and they had also left with some following the Salters to high ground.
Traffic building up
Speaking on top of a hill, Ōpōtiki Councillor Louis Rapihana said the sea had changed around at the eastern Bay of Plenty town's coast, and waves had begun to get bigger.
He said a number of people in low lying areas had refused to evacuate.
Earlier Ōpōtiki holiday park manager Raji had checked that her neighbours were leaving after the tsunami warning. She was confident they were all evacuating, but was concerned traffic was moving slowly.
"My neighbours were very calm about it and my guests were very calm so I'm hoping everybody is."
Orla Cumisky, owner of Currach Irish pub on Great Barrier island, said as soon as the 8.1 quake hit at 8.30am everyone got Civil Defence alerts and immediately started to move to higher ground.
RNZ reporter Carol Stiles reported people moving up Sugar Loaf Hill and that emergency vehicles were travelling along coastal roads with flashing lights and loud sirens to alert any remaining residents to move to higher ground immediately.