By 3 News online staff
A Wellington organist has inadvertently captured the moment a magnitude 7 earthquake struck New Zealand last night.
The tremor, centered off the Taranaki coast, was felt as far south as Christchurch and was particularly strong in the Wellington region.
Organist Dianne Halliday has been recording John Keeble’s organ works on the pipes at St Peter’s church in the capital, and was playing when last night’s quake struck.
The earthquake was felt for a long period across Wellington, described as a rumble which gradually increased across 30-to-40 seconds before subsiding.
Quake monitor GNS Science says last night’s quake is the largest in the region in seven years.
The widely-felt shake caused little damage across the country, though minor damage to chimneys and stock falling off shop shelves has been reported.
The church organ was installed by Scott Lucy, for a company owned by Neil Stocker – both of whom died in the 2011 Christchurch earthquake.
“I'm sad that they're not here of course but in saying that it's the work that was done not the people who did it. I think the worst thing we could do would be to set this up as a mausoleum to these guys, it's an instrument that's made to be played and that's why they built it,” Ms Halliday told 3 News at the time.
3 News