The quake struck the Fiordland area 116 miles north-west of Invercargill, the same area hit last month by an even stronger tremor.
Scientists at the US Geological Survey say the latest incident measured 6.1 on the Richter scale.
A police spokesperson in Invercargill said that despite the strength of the quake, no damage had been reported.
Geoscience Australia seismologist David Jepson told Reuters that the event is "basically the earth responding" from July's earthquake, the largest in 80 years.
According to science institute GNS Science, the movement of the earth's plates last month was "more like a lurch than a snap", which could have caused building damage and landslides.
Earlier this week saw Mexico's Gulf of California hit by a 6.9 magnitude quake.
The area is said to be sparsely populated and there were no reports of damage or injuries.
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