The country’s official GNS Science agency said the quake was centered about 50 miles (80 km) west of Te Anau at a depth of about 7 miles (12 km).
Shaking was felt in Te Anau, central Otago and Southland at 2:42 p.m. local time, but the agency said there were no reports of damage or injuries.
The seismically active southwestern coast of New Zealand has produced several moderate-to-strong earthquakes in recent years, but none was strong enough to cause significant damage.
But a 6.7 magnitude quake and strong aftershocks near the same epicenter as Sunday's quake tossed goods off supermarket shelves last October and caused a landslide that blocked a road leading to Milford Sound.
