A LIGHT rocking from an earthquake yesterday was felt widely in Gisborne and throughout the North Island. Seismic monitoring website Geonet recorded the 5.5 magnitude earthquake -- described by Gisborne residents as a "slow rolling sensation" -- struck at 12.42pm 10km north-east of Taupo, at a depth of 110km. It was widely felt throughout the North Island and some northern parts of the South Island, feedback to Geonet's "felt it" tool indicated. One person in Timaru reported feeling a really light shake. Geonet recorded another 2.5 magnitude earthquake in a similar location about 20 minutes later. Several earthquakes -- less than four on the Richter scale and not felt -- were recorded overnight in the vicinities of Te Araroa and Wairoa. GNS Science seismologist John Ristau said clusters of small quakes were common in the East Coast and Hawke's Bay areas due to location in a shallow part of the subduction zone of the Pacific and Australian tectonic plates. The quake near Taupo was not connected to any geothermal activity because it was "far too deep", said Dr Ristau. "These large deep earthquakes are fairly common in the North Island. "This one just happened to be a bit larger than most and quite widely felt." The Herald received mixed feedback on its Facebook page yesterday, with some people feeling a strong or moderate shake, while others missed it completely. It was described as a slow rolling sensation rather than a sharp jolt. Ursula Ellis-Pollock said it was a "good shake