Monday's massive New Zealand earthquake caused major damage to urban areas, however some of the most destructive scenes occurred in the most remote areas of the country.

The enormous 7.8 magnitude earthquake not only tore apart major roadways, but also ripped some of the country's famed mountain areas to shreds.

So powerful was the quake that it caused one mountainside to separate entirely, leaving a family of cows stranded on a small island of grass.

Incredible video captured the cows standing helplessly on the mountainside atop the tiny island.

The group of three cows fortunately found themselves standing on a sturdy piece of land, saving their beef from the damaged and potentially dangerous earth below.

While there have been no specific reports of livestock deaths, there was widespread landslides across New Zealand.

One massive collapse of earth and rock covered a major road under tonnes of dirt, leaving it completely inaccessible to cars or emergency vehicles. (Daily Mail)