Daniel Vettori and Dean Brownlie steadied New Zealand with an 80-run partnership before bad light stopped play shortly before the scheduled tea break at the Gabba. Australia's inexperienced attack made a strong start with four wickets in the morning and the debutant Mitchell Starc struck again in the first over after lunch when he had Jesse Ryder caught at point, but it was the only success of the session for the hosts.
At tea, New Zealand were 5 for 176, with Vettori on 45 and Brownlie on 32, and it was a solid recovery after they slipped to 5 for 96 with the loss of Ryder, who cut Starc straight to David Warner for 6. Brownlie had some nervous moments in his second Test, playing against the country of his birth, dropped twice on 3.
Michael Clarke may come to rue the easy chance he grassed at slip when Peter Siddle found Brownlie's edge; opportunities in the cordon don't come much simpler. Much tougher was the half-chance that eluded Warner, who at point jumped and just got his fingertips to the ball high above his head when Brownlie connected with a full-blooded cut.
Slowly, Brownlie warmed into his routine and by the end of the session he had played a couple of strong shots, including a powerful cut behind point for four off Starc. Vettori played his natural game, compiling the runs at a reasonable pace without taking many risks, and the Australians needed a breakthrough to ensure their promising morning wasn't wasted.
The attack was as green as the baggy caps that were liberally dispensed on the first morning at the Gabba but by lunch they had put their team firmly on top. Starc picked up the key wicket of Brendon McCullum and his fellow first-gamer James Pattinson removed the New Zealand captain Ross Taylor to leave the visitors on 4 for 94 at lunch.
It was a disappointing effort from New Zealand after they had chosen to bat on a cloudy Brisbane morning, all the more so because the openers McCullum and Martin Guptill had taken the score to 44 without loss. But Peter Siddle broke the opening stand and the offspinner Nathan Lyon, who had never bowled at the Gabba, also struck when given an early opportunity by Clarke.
While the New Zealand batsmen had contributed to their own demises on a pitch a little on the slow side, conditions were not easy as there was some swing in the first session, exploited especially well by Starc. Auditioning for a long-term role in the team in the absence of his fellow left-armer Mitchell Johnson, Starc showed an ability to consistently swing the ball in to the right-handers and it was that talent that troubled McCullum.
Earlier McCullum had pounced on width outside off, striking three boundaries in the first over of the match as Pattinson struggled to find his line. But against Starc, McCullum had no room and twice was cramped up awkwardly, including once when a bouncer straightened and struck him on the helmet. Starc moved around the wicket to McCullum and had him caught for 34 when his cut was snapped up at point by another of Australia's three debutants, Warner.
Already Siddle had made a breakthrough when Martin Guptill drove at a ball that moved away just a fraction and was caught behind for 13, and two wickets was a good start for Australia. There was more to come, though, with Kane Williamson struggling to move his feet against the offspin of Lyon, who was supported by the captain Clarke with a leg-slip who nearly came into play when Williamson tickled a ball fine.
Soon enough Williamson's hesitance against the spin brought his downfall, his lunge forward resulting in an inside edge on to his leg that was snapped up at short leg for 19. Three wickets would have been a fine session for Australia but it became an even better one when Taylor handed Pattinson his maiden Test wicket.
Pattinson had been nervous early but on his return swung the ball impressively. However, it was a full and wide ball that accounted for Taylor (14), who tried for a powerful square drive only to see the ball rocket off his inside edge and back onto his stumps, a disappointing way for the captain to depart having chosen to bat in challenging conditions.
