6.2 magnitude earthquake shakes New Zealand: What you said when you felt the shake

Today's 6.2 magnitude quake has been felt by thousands of Kiwis across New Zealand.

It is one of the largest earthquakes in New Zealand since a Magnitude 7.8 tremor struck near Kaikoura in November 2016, which killed two people.

The quake was at a depth of 165km and hit at 3.13pm 20km south west of Taumarunui.

There is no tsunami threat.

Here is what people have shared about their personal quake experiences:

Rachel Stewart felt the quake in rural Whanganui.

Olivia Allison felt the quake in Palmerston North.

"Wholly crap we just had an epic quake in Palmy. First Big one since I've been back. Just keeps going," she said on Twitter.

The Hits presenter Brodie Kane tweeted: "So I actually woke from a nap into the earthquake and it wasn't even in the same island as me...holy sh**!"

A North Canterbury resident said the quake was "quite noticeable".

A Christchurch man said the quake felt "yuck". He said he was six floors up in a concrete-clad government building that began to sway.

A Rotorua resident said it felt like it went on for ages.

Wellington-based Herald reporter Lucy Bennett said the shaking was quite gentle.

"There was a gentle shake and a jolt. It kept rolling on and then there was another jolt," Bennett said.

After the shaking she went outside to see if there was any damage and said "life was continuing as normal".

A Napier lecturer Dr Ram Roy said he was teaching a class of international students when the earthquake hit and they were terrified.

"They had never felt anything like it so were quite scared." "I was writing on the whiteboard when it started to shake like a drunk person."

"After the earthquake stopped they left me all alone...this exodus was even scarier than the earthquake itself."

Tejinder Chawla wrote: "I felt the earthquake in wellington wills street. Felt it 1st time and was little shaky.. as almost dropped my coffee on me."

Wellington resident Kasey MacKinnon - who has just moved up from Christchurch - said it went on for a while. "Biggest one I've felt in a long time and first one since moving to Wellington two months ago."

Donna Field said she felt "quite a significant shake in Greytown Wairarapa. Went for about 30 seconds. Made the building creak and sway back and forth. "

The quake was felt strongly in Hastings. One woman said the carpark was "rolling underneath me at Countdown".

"Christchurch hospital rocked and rolled like a boat for what seemed like ages," said Alesha Boon.

A woman at Ashcott Homestead in Central Hawke's Bay said she felt the quake hit. "We live in a 160 year old Homestead which felt like it was rolling on ocean waves (I climbed under the kitchen table just in case!)"

Gladys Ford said it felt like a big machine had fallen on her house "then the shake. Knew it was a real earthquake somewhere close."

James Baker was in Wanganui. "First time I've felt need to exit the house during an earthquake - no damages as far as I can tell maybe some cracked glass."

Napier resident Jonathon Smith said he grabbed his dogs, hopped in his car and left immediately. "I live right by the coast so we were scared there was going to be a tsunami."

"The first one was quite short and sharp and then there was a pause and I thought it might be over then there was a stronger shake that went on for about 30 seconds."

Rohan Goodsir said the quake felt "pretty close" in Castlecliff.

"Some definite shudders and a few dropped pieces of art and smashed frames. Glad it wasn't worse!"

Palmerston North resident Bridget Schraders said she took the opportunity to teach her 3-year-old the turtle hold. "The 8 month old thought it was great fun when I demonstrated over the top of her," Schraders wrote on Facebook.

Pregnant mum Leticia O'Loughlin was sitting outside her home in the small town of Taihape, south of Mt Ruapehu on SH1, when the quake hit.

She immediately ran inside to check on her kids and found them well drilled and ready to give her instructions on what to do.

"They yelled, 'Get under the table', and so we all jumped under the table and rode it ," she said.

"It was pretty scary because I'm 34 weeks pregnant and I didn't really want to shake the baby out."

She said the kids did really well in their "heads down, bum up" position they were taught at school.

The earthquake lasted about 30-40 seconds but felt like it lasted much longer, O'Loughlin said.

It was the biggest quake she had ever experienced and it sounded like it was going to knock over her "China cabinet", but in the end nothing was damaged.

Dianne Reader was volunteering in the Oncology Unit at Whangarei Hospital when the quake struck.

"The building is solid concrete. I happened to be standing still when I felt the floor moving like a slight vibration.

"I start at 12pm so it was some time after that. Thought it was odd a solid building vibrating like that and didn't realise there had been earth quake until I got home at 3pm."

Palmerston North resident Bridget Schraders said she took the opportunity to teach her 3-year-old the turtle hold.

"The 8 month old thought it was great fun when I demonstrated over the top of her," Schraders wrote on Facebook.

Vivienne Guthrie wrote: "That was a sharp jolt felt in Napier city ,lasted about 20 seconds. It sent my fur baby Pipi and I under the kitchen table. She was shaking uncontrollably ,me a bit, we are ok. No damage."

Recent large quakes in NZ

• July 2017: North-west of Auckland Island, Magnitude 6.6, depth 10km

• November 2016: Kaikoura, Magnitude 7.8, depth 15km (two deaths)

• September 2016: East Cape, Magnitude 7.1, depth 55km

• February 2016: Christchurch, Magnitude 5.7, depth 15km

• April 2015: St Arnaud, Magnitude 6.2, depth 52km