Warning: Stay away from beaches
Sunday 8:41AM

AUTHORITIES warn Aussies not to be tempted to go sightseeing as tsunami heads our way.

The alert follows a massive 8.8-magnitude earthquake which hit off the coast of Chile in the middle of the night toppling buildings, cutting power and killing at least 150 people.

The Marquesas islands, northeast of Polynesia, were hit between 7:00 and 8:00 am by a series of two-metre waves which damaged some boats but no one was hurt, officials said. A four-metre wave hit Hiva Oa in the Marquesas, officials said.