Nearly 3000 people feel 5.6 magnitude earthquake centred near Te Anau

A 5.6 magnitude earthquake near Te Anau has jolted the lower South Island just before 11am today.

According to GeoNet, the 10.52am quake was centred 40 kilometres north of Te Anau at depth of 67km. 

GeoNet describes shaking from the earthquake as "moderate".

Nearly 3000 people registered feeling the earthquake on GeoNet, most in Otago, Southland, the West Coast and South Canterbury.

Monitoring agency GNS Science charted a similar earthquake in the same place nine days ago, but told AAP it wasn't significant.

"It's just another earthquake on just another day in New Zealand," a spokesperson said.