In the early hours, a magnitude 4.3 earthquake rumbles through Melbourne and southern Victoria, leaving thousands startled.
The quake's heart beats near Leongatha, South Gippsland, a whisper away from Melbourne at 135 kilometres southeast.
Over 4,000 reports flood in as tremors reach from Melbourne's urban sprawl to the far reaches of South Australia and Tasmania.
Despite the earth's stir, authorities assure there's no tsunami danger, a small relief amid the shake.
Without an early warning system like those overseas, Australia weighs the balance of cost against the unpredictable nature of its quakes.