Civil Defence has just cancelled the tsunami alert for New Zealand.

The warning was issued for the entire East Coast of the country and the Chatham Islands after yesterday's 8.3 quake off the coast of Chile.

Civil Defence said it's reviewed the advice from a tsunami experts panel and believes the national warning no longer needs to be in place.

Director Sarah Stuart-Black said the threat to the country has largely passed - but there may be some unusual water conditions for the next 24 to 36 hours.

She said people need to be careful and use discretion before going into the water or out in small boats.

Waves of up to 50 centimetres high have been recorded in parts of the Chathams. 

Minor fluctuations in sea-level have been recorded in North Cape, Great Barrier Island, Tauranga, East Cape, Gisborne, Napier, Castlepoint, Wellington, Kaikoura, Christchurch.

They were all under 30 centimetres.