The Bachelorette NZ couple Lexie Brown and Hamish Boyt caught up in Tsunami warning

Hamish Boyt and Lexie Brown have shared updates as they follow the Civil Defence warnings. Photo / Misslexiebrown

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It may not be how they pictured their first days as a public couple.

Lexie Brown and Hamish Boyt, who met on TVNZ's The Bachelorette, have shared updates this morning as they moved to high ground near Ōhope beach. The couple had been staying with family after the finale of The Bachelorette aired.

The Bachelorette couple Lexie Brown and Hamish Boyt shared they were moving to higher ground. Photo / Travelphotoskiwi

Boyt shared on his Instagram account a view of the cars as members of the public moved to a nearby hill. The couple encouraged their followers to stay safe.

"Everyone evacuating, we're up on the hill," Boyt said.

"Got to be safe, better safe than sorry," Brown said.

Hundreds of workers, students and residents are fleeing to higher ground after a third, massive Pacific earthquake this morning - and a tsunami threat that affects much of the Northland, Bay of Plenty, East Coast and upper West Coast coastlines.

A magnitude 8.1 earthquake struck off the Kermadec Islands, 1000km northeast of New Zealand, at 8.28am (NZT). There is gridlock in cities such as Whangarei and on other roads around the affected regions.

Lexie Brown shared her Nan and Pop were safe and with the couple. Photo / Misslexiebrown

Brown told her followers her Nan and Pop were safe and were with her and Boyt as they moved to higher ground.

The couple have been splitting their time between each of their families in Whangārei and Whakatāne. On Tuesday, the couple were doing media interviews with Lexie's proud grandparents watching on.

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• Earthquake swarm, North Island tsunami warning after magnitude 8 shake - NZ Herald

During the interview with the Herald, when asked how her family reacted to her choosing Hamish for the final rose, she turned the laptop camera around to where her Nan and Pop were sitting on the couch.

"We like Hamish very much!" her Nan said."