At two minutes after midnight on the morning of Monday 14 November 2016 , the 7.8 magnitude Kaikoura earthquake which was centred between Culverden and Kaikoura in the South Island caused most of Wellington CBD , Victoria University of Wellington , and the Wellington suburban rail network to be largely closed for the day to allow inspections . The earthquake caused damage to a considerable number of buildings . Subsequently , a number of recent buildings were demolished rather than being rebuilt , often a decision made by the insurer ; and 65 % of the damage caused by the earthquake was in Wellington . Two of the buildings demolished were about eleven years old ; the seven-storey NZDF headquarters and Statistics House at Centreport on the waterfront . The docks were closed for several weeks after the earthquake
Kaikoura earthquake
2016 Kaikoura earthquake
Wellington