The damage at the corner of Manchester and Worcester Street, central Christchurch. Credit: NZPA

Auckland, Sept 4 NZPA - Cashmere Hills resident Tony Stuart woke today to a crashing sound rumbling through his house as a massive earthquake hit Christchurch.

"It was the noise of the glass breaking that will remain with me. All I could hear was glass crashing and stuff dropping all over the place," he told NZPA.

"It was the sound reverberating through the house.

"We woke up to a tremendous rumbling and shaking and the sound of glass breaking."

There was plenty of broken crockery and broken glass but the house seemed to be largely intact.

Mr Stuart and his wife, Von, were both asleep when the earthquake hit about 4.35am and immediately sheltered under door frames.

A neighbour's house lost a wall in the shake, leaving the kitchen exposed to the elements.

His neighbour was out of town and did not yet know about the damage.

Mr Stuart said the scary part of the shake was how much his house could move.

He had torches and gas and had taken hot water to his neighbour, and checked the rest of his neighbours for damage or injury.

"It was the noise and the rumble. It was so intense. It was massive and then you think, 'hang on this is Christchurch and it is not meant to be happening'. Then you think of all the greenies who say 'I told you so, I told you so, you weren't ready'."

Mr Stuart said he was saving the battery on his cellphone but his landline was still working.