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New Zealand finished their Tri-Nations campaign on a high note with a 33-6 win over Australia at the Westpac Stadium, consigning the Wallabies to the tournament wooden spoon in the process.

The scoreline was a flattering one for the All Blacks who did not have things all their own way until tries in the final five minutes from Ma'a Nonu and Joe Rokocoko.

New Zealand had the chance to take the lead in just the third minute when Matt Giteau was penalised at the breakdown but Dan Carter pulled his kick wide of the right post and Giteau made amends for his early mistake by giving his side the lead in the eighth minute when Adam Thomson was caught offside.

Giteau had a chance to extend the Wallabies lead just minutes later, when the All Blacks were penalised for failing to roll away, but the Australian fly-half pulled the ball across the front of the posts from the left wing and New Zealand quickly bounced back to take the lead with three successful Carter penalties in the space of eight minutes.

Australia did look like getting back into the match when Berrick Barnes reduced the deficit with a cracking drop goal while New Zealand centre Isaia Toeava was sent to the sin bin for flooring teenage full-back James O'Connor with a high tackle.

But the All Blacks quickly stamped out any hope for the Wallabies with Cory Jane scoring his maiden Test try after beating O'Connor to a high ball and skipping past Lachlan Turner's last ditch tackle to touch down unchallenged.

Carter then added the conversion, bouncing the ball off the left upright and between the posts, to make the score 16-6 heading into the interval.

The New Zealand fly-half added a fourth penalty shortly after the re-start but the vast majority of the second half was a cagey affair.

Australia did come close to scoring 10 minutes from time with a period of sustained pressure seeing Will Genia hauled down just inches short of the line for what could have been a game-changing try.

But New Zealand held firm before running away with the match in the final five minutes with a moment of genius from Nonu giving the All Blacks their game-sealing try. The All Blacks centre skipping through two tackles before stretching out for the line.

New Zealand almost scored again just two minutes later, referee Craig Joubert deeming the ball to have been held up over the line, but made no mistake on the stroke of full time by working the ball the width of the field to find Rokocoko, who dived over the line in the corner for his 45th Test try.

Carter added both conversions to hand Australia their worst defeat of the campaign and their first wooden spoon since 2005.

South Africa had already claimed their first Tri-Nations trophy for five years, after beating New Zealand 32-29 last week.

Pippa Davis / Eurosport