A large earthquake on the remote Kermadec Islands might have been felt along New Zealand's east coast.

The 6.7 magnitude jolt struck 80 kilometres south of Raoul Island early this morning. Its depth was just 10km.

Seismologist Terry Webb says north of New Zealand, the rate of earthquakes that occur is very high through the Tonga-Kermadec trench.

"Due to the geometry of the plate, the plate motion increases, so while it's around 40 millimetres a year in New Zealand as you go further north, it approaches double that."

No damage has been reported.