New Zealand will begin the fourth day of the first Test at the Gabba trailing Australia by 122 runs with nine second-innings wickets remaining.
After losing their final wicket at 427 near to the close of play, the Australians compounded their advantage as debutant James Pattinson dismissed Brendon McCullum in the last over of the day to leave New Zealand 10 for one.
Pattinson's wicket came through a lovely line and length delivery, which caught the edge and ended in the safe hands of Ricky Ponting.
Martin Guptill (seven not out) played and missed more than once, but was only aiming for the close of play and will have the chance to dine out on a flattening deck on the fourth day along with nightwatchman Doug Bracewell.
Australian skipper Michael Clarke (139) and Brad Haddin (80) did the bulk of the damage for the hosts, adding on to Ponting's 78, and Pattinson (12) and Mitchell Starc (32 not out) helped milk every last run out of the contest.
After being dropped twice and bowled by a no-ball - all off the luckless Bracewell - Clarke's prodigious luck ran out in the first over after tea when he top-edged a short ball from Chris Martin and was well caught by Tim Southee at deep square-leg.
The end of Haddin and Starc's 108-run stand should have signalled the demise for Australia, but Pattinson and Starc were able to combine with their keeper in partnerships worth 29 and 44 respectively.
Earlier, Ponting looked to have rekindled the fire and was moving towards triple figures before being trapped in front by a Chris Martin inswinger.
Michael Hussey never found his rhythm before falling for 15 in the morning session, joining David Warner (three) and Phil Hughes (10) in the pavillion.
New Zealand's respectable first innings total of 295 was built on a record 158-run sixth-wicket stand between Daniel Vettori (96) and Dean Brownlie (77 not out), who dug in admirably after the tourists had fallen to 96 for five at one point on the first day.
Unheralded right-arm off-spinner Nathan Lyon was the stand-out bowler for Australia, taking four for 66, the best Test figures by an Australian finger-spinner at the Gabba in 80 years.
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