Wednesday, July 4

The big earthquake that rocked the North Island on Tuesday night is being used by the government to remind people to be prepared. The long, rumbling magnitude-7 quake struck off the west coast at 10.36pm, centred 60km southwest of Opunake in Taranaki at a depth of 230km, GNS Science said. It was felt over hundreds of kilometres, from Bay of Plenty to Christchurch, and Civil Defence Minister Chris Tremain says it could have happened anywhere.

Photo by Thinkstock Jul 2, 2012