People in the area - including in and around Wellington - have described as "short and sharp" and although officially recorded as a light shake, was strong enough to wake people up in the middle of the night.
One woman wrote on Facebook: "Oh my gosh. Never felt one like that before. Scary."
Another woman named Jane, of Paraparaumu, told Newstalk ZB: "It was just like a bus had hit the house.
"It was a real thump and then shuddering for a few seconds. In fact, I think I'm still shuddering.
A night time shake has been felt across the lower North Island and top of the South Island thanks to a M4.6 earthquake occurring off the coast of Paraparaumu.