A magnitude 5.9 earthquake has shaken New Zealand's lower South Island, but no casualties or damage from the quake have been reported.

The epicenter of the quake, which struck at around at 12:08 local time (00:08 GMT) Saturday, was 80 km southwest of Te Anau at a depth of 100 km.

The quake was felt in Fiordland, Southland and Central Otago, but at only moderate intensity because of its depth of 60 miles below the Earth's surface.

New Zealand, which sits above an area where the Pacific and Australian tectonic plates meet and collide, records more than 14,000 earthquakes a year. Only about 150 are felt by people and fewer than 10 per year do any damage.