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A major earthquake measuring 6.6 struck the South Island's Fiordland region - Source: ONE News -
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It's not likely to result in cheaper air fares, but southern New Zealand is now closer to Australia, following last week's massive earthquake in Fiordland.
The 7.8 magnitude quake, centred on Resolution Island in Fiordland, twisted the South Island out of shape and moved it closer, ever so slightly, to Australia.
The quake last Wednesday night was New Zealand's biggest for 80 years.
Geologists have been talking about how the nose of the South Island has grown. Puysegur Point, at the southwest tip of the South Island, is 300mm closer to Australia.
Fiordland's main town, Te Anau, is 100mm closer to Australia, The Land Information New Zealand-GeoNet global positioning system (GPS) network said, while Dunedin on the east coast is 10mm closer.
GNS Science GeoNet project director Ken Gledhill said the changes showed the immensity of the forces involved.
"New Zealand has been very fortunate. This earthquake anywhere else would have caused huge damage.
"Basically, it's taken us closer to Australia. The country is deforming all the time because of being on the plate boundary, but this has done it in a few seconds, rather than waiting hundreds of years."
Simon Cox, geologist, says while there has been a lot of excitement about the fact the country is getting closer to Australia culturally and economically, he says geologically New Zealand's landmass has been getting closer to Australia for a very long time.
On average the New Zealand landmass moves about 35 mm a year.
"We sit right on this boundary. It goes all the way from Fiordland, all the way up the side of the Southern Alps, through the Marlborough Faults and off the eastern side of the North Island," says Cox.
Scientists are busy comparing scars left by landslides to 3D images taken a few years ago.
The big question now is - has the earthquake had any impact on the country's main alpine fault line?
"On some parts of the alpine fault the pressure's been increased, on some parts decreased. So it's likely where its increased a new rupture might start there," says John Beavan, principal scientist.
An answer will take months, but in the meantime New Zealand continues nudging a little closer to its neighbour.