Whitsunday Mayor Mike Brunker says "the earth shook".
Mike Brunker, Mayor of Whitsunday Regional Council, was in Bowen when the earthquake hit.
Bowen is 200km south of Townsville and is approximately 80km from the earthquake epicentre.
Initial reports logged the earthquake as 5.4 on the Richter scale.
Mayor Brunker said the "earth shook".
He said there were no immediate reports of property damage.
"We've had everthing now in North Queensland. We are just waiting for the water to turn into wine."
