Australia are poised to retain the Trans-Tasman Trophy and are a step closer to the world No 1 Test ranking after a decisive - albeit gruelling - day three of the first Test in Wellington.
Brendon McCullum's dismissal for 10 was the final act in a dramatic day when the Basin Reserve - literally an oval in a roundabout - was ringed by fire trucks with their sirens blaring as they rushed to a blaze in the hills above.
And warning bells were sounding in the local dressing room last night given the Black Caps need another 201 runs to make Australia bat again. 
They must do it without McCullum, Kane Williamson, Tom Latham and Martin Guptill after all four fell to skilful Australian bowling.
In his 100th Test and last at the Basin, McCullum led the players from the field to a standing ovation after he fell lbw to Mitchell Marsh.
McCullum called for the DRS, as he should, but it was a forlorn hope as the ball was shown to be hitting leg stump.
The hosts finished on 4-178 after Adam Voges made his second Test double hundred and Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon again showed their class to land key blows on an absorbing, attritional day of old-fashioned Test cricket.
Hazlewood somehow made the old ball move off the flat pitch to find Williamson's edge, while Lyon used all his wile to lure Guptill and Latham - who were both well set - into false shots.
Lyon (2-35 from 17 overs) is rapidly closing on 200 wickets and he will get there next week if he remains in this form.
"He's bowling into a pretty stiff breeze but the batsmen can't really get at him, he goes for two runs an over and chips in with a couple of wickets," Voges said last night.
"It means we can rotate the quicks at the other end and they can run in and have short bursts. And he just keeps plugging away at the other end.
"He's brilliant. He's such an asset to have." Tight, disciplined Australian bowling - laced with some promising reverse swing from Hazlewood and Marsh late in the day - ended any slight hope the hosts had of setting Australia a sizeable target, especially as the pitch was showing signs of wear.
"We got the ball going reverse quite early, which means it's more abrasive too," Voges said. "So we'll get opportunities if we bowl well and keep catching well." They will need to do both given they might be a bowler down after Peter Siddle limped off with back spasms, even though Voges predicted the paceman would be fine today.
Needing 379 runs to make Australia bat again, the Kiwis started with a bang and - other than the fire sirens - there was no bigger noise than the crack of Guptill's bat on ball. The opener welcomed Siddle to the crease with three fours in a row, all flicked flat and hard over midwicket.
The rate slowed markedly after Lyon invited Guptill (45 from 55 balls, seven fours) to try to do the same to him, whereupon the mis-hit was brilliantly caught by a backtracking Marsh at cover.
Australia's position would have been markedly stronger had Nevill held a sharp chance from Latham when the opener was on 30 and the score was 69.
Latham (63, 164 balls, three fours) batted more circumspectly after that miss until he lost concentration and was caught by Usman Khawaja at mid-off from Lyon's bowling.
Earlier Voges was the last Australian to fall, caught and bowled Mark Craig for 239 (364 balls, 30 fours and three sixes) an over before lunch.
He made the most of his good fortune late on day one to shepherd the long tail to the 562 total.
In his first Test innings since the Adelaide Test in   November, Siddle more than held up his end in his 99 stand with Voges.
Looking very much the part in a buttoned up long-sleeved shirt, Siddle played some cracking drives in his 81-ball 49, just two short of his highest Test score.
Hazlewood and Lyon went quickly but Jackson Bird defended stoutly to add 30 runs for the last wicket.
After a slow start, Bird bowled much better yesterday and might get another chance in Christchurch if James Pattinson or Siddle are ruled out with injury.
That is, of course, if the Christchurch Test goes ahead after yesterday's earthquake.
Cricket Australia says it is being advised by New Zealand Cricket, and as of last night there were no plans to abandon or reschedule the Test.
FIRST TEST New Zealand v Australia Stumps Day 3, Basin Reserve New Zealand 1st Innings 183 Australia 1st Innings (Overnight: 463-6) A Voges c and b Craig 239 P Nevill c Watling b Anderson 32 P Siddle c Anderson b Bracewell 49 J Hazlewood c Southee b Bracewell 8 N Lyon c and b Anderson 3 J Bird not out 3 Extras (4b, 3lb, 2w, 3nb) 12 TOTAL 562 Fall: 1-0, 2-5, 3-131, 4-299, 5-299, 6-395, 7-494, 8-508, 9-532, 10-562. Bowling: T Southee 31-5-87-2 (1w), T Boult 33-6-101-2, D Bracewell 33-4-127-2 (2nb), C Anderson 18-0-79-2 (1w, 1nb), M Craig 35.2-2-153-2, K Williamson 4-0-8-0.
New Zealand, 2nd Innings T Latham c Khawaja b Lyon 63 M Guptill c Marsh b Lyon 45 K Williamson c Nevill b Hazlewood 22 H Nicholls not out 31 B McCullum lbw b Marsh 10 Extras (1b, 4lb, 2nb) 7 TOTAL 4-178 Fall: 1-81, 2-121, 3-157, 4-178.Bowling: Josh Hazlewood 17-3-42-1, Jackson Bird 11-2-26-0 (1nb), Peter Siddle 8-0-30-0, Mitch Marsh 9.3-1-40-1 (1nb) Nathan Lyon 17-5-35-2.