New Zealand was set 468 for victory, needing a world record to cause a major upset as the pitch started to crack after searing heat in Western Australia.

But their chase was futile. Australia removed New Zealand's two chief protagonists before tea and had the visitors reeling at 5-98 and then finished the job under lights.

Nathan Lyon took three early wickets and Mitchell Starc had two two to put Australia in sight of victory at the tea break. Pat Cummins got the breakthrough an hour before stumps when a ball jumped at Colin de Grandhomme, who edged to Steve Smith at first slip.

The Black Caps crumbled from there, losing 4-9 as Australia's speedsters finished the job in a 296-run win.

Batsmen struggled with the pace and bounce of the pitch at the new stadium, with 21 wickets falling to short-pitched deliveries, but it was Lyon who finished the job with the final wicket to have New Zealand all out for 171.

Lyon and Starc took four wickets each in the second innings, with Australia's bowlers getting on top despite the absence of Josh Hazlewood.

"It's a pretty clinical performance by the boys. To lose Josh and have the big boys step up, hats off to them. You can't ask for a better bowling group," Lyon said on Fox Sports.

"Proud of the effort, but [New Zealand] are the No. 2 side in the world so we expect them to bounce back.

"Hats off to all of our boys and their preparation. I was pretty lucky to get [Williamson]. I had no idea [I was on a hat-trick].

"[Starc] is pretty special. He's been working his backside off and he's getting the rewards he deserves."

Starc got the key wicket of Ross Taylor on 22 early in the second session on day four caught behind, after Lyon also had Kane Williamson caught at short leg for 14.

Lyon's dismissal of Williamson came on the first ball he bowled, as it turned out of the rough and got the Black Caps star on the gloves.

He later had Tom Latham lbw for 14, before removing Henry Nicholls off the final ball of the session with one that rebounded off his pads and onto the back of his bat before finding the hands of Travis Head.

Life has not been easy for the Black Caps, as evidenced by one ball from Cummins that bounced steeply and followed BJ Watling (20no) before it struck him on the grill.

Opener Jeet Raval was also beaten by bounce when he edged Starc to point for one in the seventh over of the innings.

Matthew Wade earlier wore several body blows on Sunday for Australia before falling for 17, as one of three Aussies to be dismissed in the opening hour as they declared at 9-217.

It left the Black Caps needing to either survive more than five sessions against the pink ball to draw, or pull off the biggest run-chase in Test history to win.

The previous record was the West Indies' effort to hit 418 in the fourth-innings in 2003, but this is a far more difficult pitch.

Regardless, New Zealand will be spurred on by their short-ball barrage ahead of the next two Tests in Melbourne and Sydney.

Wade copped several balls from Neil Wagner (3-59) to his gloves and arm, as he almost led with his elbow at shorter balls from the left-armer.

He then eventually perished to a short ball, becoming the the fourth batsman out to a pull shot this innings.

Tim Southee finished with 5-69, as each of Australia's top six fell to shorter balls with a field of catchers set around and behind the bat.

There was plenty of action off the field as well with bushfires, dodgy chicken wraps and a bizarre umpire injury in the history day-night fixture.

The inaugural pink ball Test in Perth featured plenty of quirks.

A worried murmur rang around the stadium on Sunday when a public advisory on the big screen warned patrons to immediately return any sandwich, wrap, or salad containing chicken.

A stadium spokesperson said a staff member had spotted what they thought was undercooked chicken in one of the products, and the decision was made to recall all of them as a precaution.

Less than 20 of those products had been sold up until that point given it was still early in the first session, and no one had presented ill.

One person who did require medical treatment during the Test was umpire Aleem Dar.

Dar was left nursing a left knee injury after colliding with Mitchell Santner while NZ attempted to enact a run-out on Saturday.

Play was held up for more than five minutes while Dar was given a dose of magic spray and then had a compression bandage applied to his knee.

A limping Dar was able to resume his duties, albeit in obvious pain.

Speaking of painful, the slow-motion exit of a pitch roller on day three also fit the bill.

The groundsperson on the roller assumed an early tea had been called after NZ were dismissed for 166 in their first innings.

But given the timing of the final wicket was 12 minutes before the official break, Australia had to front up for one over before tea.

It meant the groundsperson had just 10 minutes to do his job, instead of the 40 he'd thought.

Players waited patiently and had a laugh amongst themselves as the roller finished its last lap on the pitch before making its slow-motion exit to the long-on boundary.

And just before play on day two began, a scrub fire broke out at Belmont Race Course, which is just across the road from Optus Stadium.

Firefighters quickly got the fire under control, and the direction of the wind meant the thick smoke largely missed Optus Stadium, although the odd piece of ash did fall into the field of play.