2009 Fiordland earthquake struck the South Island of New Zealand with a magnitude of 7.8 at 9:22 pm ( NZST ) on 15 July . The earthquake was centred in the remote region of Fiordland , with the epicentre located west-north-west of Invercargill near Dusky Sound in Fiordland National Park , at a depth of . It is among the largest New Zealand earthquakes to occur , including the Culverden/Kaikoura earthquake in 2016 and the 1931 Hawke 's Bay earthquake , which both had a magnitude of 7.8
1931 Hawke 's Bay earthquake
1931 Hawke's Bay earthquake
2009 Fiordland earthquake