Batting saviour Michael Clarke fell agonisingly short of a deserved rearguard century as underdogs New Zealand made the most of a minefield pitch to take first-day honours at the Gabba.
The Black Caps surprised Australia and a 12,498-strong Brisbane crowd on the opening day of the two-Test series to dismiss the home side for 214 and then go to stumps at 0-7.
Among an unheralded bowling attack, teenager Tim Southee was the star for the tourists as he made the early inroads after NZ skipper Daniel Vettori won the toss and bowled.
Southee quickly rewarded him by reducing the world champions to 3-23 with the wickets of Matthew Hayden, Simon Katich and Ricky Ponting with his first 19 balls.
Southee, who finished with 4-63, was on a hat-trick when a rearing delivery had Ponting (4) caught high at second slip off a leading edge.
Clarke survived the hat-trick ball and rode his luck early in a 216-ball stay which wasn't always pretty but significantly priceless for his side.
The Australian vice-captain was eventually clean bowled for 98 as he attempted to hit his way to three figures with a big drive off a Jesse Ryder inswinger late on the opening day of the trans-Tasman series.
Playing a lone hand, Clarke was 80 not out when last man Stuart Clark joined him at the fall of the ninth wicket.
The pair put on a valuable 31 runs to post a respectable total in treacherous batting conditions.
In an engrossing David v Goliath battle, the No.7-ranked Black Caps exploited an underprepared wicket after four days of rain plus an overnight storm, which damaged the stands and the centre-wicket area.
Eight of Australia's 10 wickets fell to edges behind the wicket as the batsmen struggled against the bounce and sideways movement.
Mr Reliable Mike Hussey combined with Clarke for a face-saving 73-run stand, the biggest of the day, but he fell for 35 when he shouldered arms to a Chris Martin off-cutter and was trapped leg before.
Wayward star Andrew Symonds fought hard in his comeback for 26, which included three successive fours off Grant Elliott, before he edged Ian O'Brien behind.
The dismissal sparked a 5-51 collapse, with fellow all-rounder Shane Watson (6), Brad Haddin (6), Brett Lee (4) and Mitchell Johnson (5) all falling to edges.
The rain that lashed the ground in the early hours of the day saw Australia include all-rounder Watson in their XI for his seam bowling at the expense of unlucky off-spinner Jason Krejza.
Watson threw away his chance to reward the selectors and demand retention for the second Test in Adelaide when he wafted lazily at a shortish ball from O'Brien (2-44).
As it happened...
5.36pm (Bris time) - NZ 0/7: New Zealand call it a day without droppinga wicket. A good day for the Kiwis.They'll resume tomorrow at 0-7.
5.02pm (Bris time) - Aust 10/214: Michael Clarke is bowled by Jesse Ryder for 98, falling just short of a century in a superb innings.
4.19pm (Bris time) - Aust 9/192: Mitchell Johnson falls to a Taylor catch, after edging Vettori's crucial delivery.
3.48pm (Bris time) - Aust 8/160: Australia look keen to bowl as another wicket goes to Southee. Brett Lee is his fourth scalp after he was caught behind by McCullum who took a brilliant one-handed catch diving to his right.
3.25pm (Bris time) - Aust 7/152: Just before the tea break Jesse Ryder claims his first wicket with Brad Haddin caught by How for just six runs off 19 balls. Australia will be looking forward to a break to try and re-group from a horror first day, as the Kiwi's decision to bowl first is paying huge dividends.
3.12pm (Bris time) - AUST 6/139: The wickets keep tumbling, with Shane Watson having a short stint, scoring just one run before O'Brien takes his second wicket. Watson was caught behind by McCullum taking his third catch. Brad Haddin joins Clarke at the crease.
2.50pm (Bris time) - AUST 5/132: Andrew Symonds has come and gone, notching 26 from 33 balls before being caught behind by Brian McCullum off Iain O'Brien. The Aussies are in real trouble.
1.41pm (Bris time) - AUST 4/95: Another wicket for the Kiwi's, Hussey falls lbw to Martin for 35. Andrew Symonds is next in and needs to dig in and find some form.
1.36pm (Bris time) - AUST 3/95: Michael Clarke and Michael Hussey have started to steady the ship for the Aussie's with a partnership of 72 runs from 155 balls. Hussey is 35 (75) and Clarke is 38 (118)
11.50am (Bris time) - AUST 3/56: Australia are trying to dig in after young New Zealand quick Tim Southee ripped through the top order early on day one of the first Test at the Gabba.
Mike Hussey and Michael Clarke have ridden their luck on a green top deck to steer Australia to three for 56.
Clarke is not out 17 and Hussey is unbeaten on 16.
11.06am (Bris time) - AUST 3/23: Ricky Ponting has continued Australia's top order collapse, caught behind for four runs - again of the bowling of Tim Southee.
Cramped with an impressive in-swinger from 19-year-old Southee, Ponting closed the face of his bat, deflecting an outside edge to second slip.
Michael Clarke and Michael Hussey are now under a mountain of pressure to sustain some sort of partnership.
11.00am (Bris time) - AUST 2/22: Simon Katich has become the latest victim of New Zealand's early pace attack, following Matthew Hayden back to the stands after falling for 10.
Again against the bowling of Tim Southee, Katich was taken in a similar fashion to Hayden - caught behind to a tidy out-swinger.
Michael Hussey has joined Ricky Ponting at the crease.
10.50am (Bris time) - AUST 1/13: Australian opener Matthew Hayden has lost his wicket cheaply just four overs into the opening session between Australia and New Zealand at the Gabba.
Caught at first slip off the bowling of paceman Tim Southee, Hayden was out for just 8 runs from 16 balls.
Simon Katich is on 5 and has been joined by Ricky Ponting at the crease.
Pre-match: Jason Krejza has become the first victim of the pitch conditions in Brisbane, with all-rounder Shane Watson getting the nod in the first Test against New Zealand at the Gabba this morning.
The green wicket looks to be suited to pace bowling and Watson was seen as the better option to compliment the three-pronged pace attack of Brett Lee, Stuart Clark and Mitchell Johnson.
"I think Ricky (Ponting) and the selectors had a good think about it. It's obviously a tough decision," Australian vice-captain Michael Clarke explained to Channel Nine.
"I think they saw a little bit of grass on this wicket and thought the extra fast bowler - Watson obviously in great from with the ball - will play a big part on this wicket."
Black Caps captain Daniel Vettori was keen to make full use of the well-grassed wicket, electing to bowl after winning the toss.
Ponting said he was not disappointed to lose his fourth straight toss as he expected batting conditions to be difficult for the first half of the Test.
A slow seamer on day one, the pitch is likely to quicken up on days two and three.
"This will be as green as you'll see a Gabba Test match pitch," said former Australian and Queensland wicketkeeper Ian Healy.
The Kiwis have included teenage swing bowler Tim Southee at the expense of Kyle Mills, who is 12th man.
Play was delayed for an hour after overnight storms in Brisbane left the Gabba turf waterlogged, with play delayed for an hour while curators worked to dry the wicket.
Ground staff were using power dryers and rollers to eliminate the moisture in the centre wicket area on an extremely steamy morning.
Parts of the roof were also blown off the upper eastern stand in the storm.
Australia: Ricky Ponting (capt), Matthew Hayden, Simon Katich, Michael Hussey, Michael Clarke, Andrew Symonds, Shane Watson, Brad Haddin, Brett Lee, Mitchell Johnson, Stuart Clark. 12th man: Jason Krejza.
New Zealand: Daniel Vettori (capt), Jamie How, Aaron Redmond, Jesse Ryder, Ross Taylor, Brendon McCullum, Daniel Flynn, Grant Elliot, Tim Southee, Iain O'Brien, Chris Martin. 12th man: Mark Gillespie.
Scoreboard at stumps day one of the opening Test against New Zealand at Gabba.
Australia 1st Innings Mins Balls 4s 6s
M HAYDEN c Taylor b Southee 8 17 16 2 0
S KATICH c McCullum b Southee 10 27 17 1 0
R PONTING c How b Southee 4 13 8 1 0
M HUSSEY lbw Martin 35 114 78 4 0
M CLARKE b Ryder 98 284 217 9 0
A SYMONDS c McCullum b O'Brien 26 48 33 3 0
S WATSON c McCullum b O'Brien 1 10 8 0 0
B HADDIN c How b Ryder 6 20 19 1 0
B LEE c McCullum b Southee 4 17 12 1 0
M JOHNSON c Taylor b Vettori 5 28 15 1 0
S CLARK not out 13 37 40 1 0
Sundries (2lb 1w 1nb) 4
Total 214
Fall: 13 (Hayden), 22 (Katich), 23 (Ponting), 96 (Hussey), 132 (Symonds), 139 (Watson), 152 (Haddin), 160 (Lee), 183 (Johnson), 214 (Clarke).
Bowling: C Martin 18-4-42-1, T Southee 18-3-63-4 (1w), I O'Brien 19-6-44-2, G Elliot 10-4-29-0, D Vettori 8-0-27-1 (1nb), J Ryder 4-1-7-2.
Batting time: 319 mins. Overs: 77.
New Zealand 1st Innings Mins Balls 4s 6s
A REDMOND not out 3 21 18 0 0
J HOW not out 2 21 14 0 0
Sundries (2nb) 2
No wickets for 7
Bowling: B Lee 3-1-3-0, S Clark 2-0-4-0 (2nb).
Batting time: 21 mins. Overs: 5.
Umpires: Billy Doctrove (WIN), Rudi Koertzen (RSA)
Match Referee: Chris Broad (ENG).
Third Umpire: Rod Tucker (AUS).