NORTH Queensland has been rocked by a 5.4 magnitude earthquake, with reports from across the region of buildings "shuddering''.

The quake struck at 3.31pm, about 130km south of Townsville, 60km west of Bowen and 10km below the earth's surface.



Minutes later Christchurch - the scene of the devastating earthquake only weeks ago - was hit by a 5.3 magnitude aftershock.

A preliminary report by Geoscience Australia registered the Queensland earthquake at 5.4 magnitude earthquake but that has since been revised to 5.2. It is the strongest earthquake in Queensland since 1965 when a 5.3 magnitude quake rattled the Toowoomba region.



At 5.06pm, the USGS recorded a 4.7 magnitude aftershock in a simlar location to the original quake.

The quake was felt as far away as the Whitsundays off the central coast of Queensland and in the state's capital Brisbane, a Geoscience Australia spokesman told AAP.

"It's a shallow earthquake, that means it's close to the surface and potentially damaging,'' he said.

"For this type of event we would definitely expect aftershocks ... and generally they are smaller than the original event.''

But she told how her windows rattled and her young daughter leapt into her arms during the quake.

"It scared my daughter enough she jumped on the couch with me and my windows were rattling,'' Ms Marr said.

"I haven't heard of any damage at the moment.

"We usually get SMS warnings if there is more danger and to stay inside and that hasn't happened.''

Ms Marr said she had been listening to the local radio for updates and had heard people as far south as Bowen calling the station saying they felt the quake.

"It's hard to say how long it lasted, but it was probably about 10 to 20 seconds I think,'' Ms Marr said.

"I heard a guy on the radio say he timed it and it lasted 40 seconds, but it's hard to tell.''

Only minutes after the Queensland quake, Christchurch - the scene of the devastating earthquake only weeks ago - was hit by a 5.3 magnitude aftershock.

The 5.49pm (3.49pm AEST) quake was centred 10km northeast of Diamond Harbour, at a depth of 11km and was felt strongly in Christchurch, GNS reported.

Christchurch remains devastated following a magnitude 6.3 quake on February 22, which claimed an estimated 181 lives.

That quake followed a magnitude 7.1 quake last September 4.