Ambrose was named man of the match for his 102 in the tourists' first innings, which placed England on course for its first test success in 10 tests abroad since it beat India in Mumbai two years ago.
England levelled the three-match series at 1-1, 30 minutes before lunch on the fifth and final day when New Zealand was dismissed for 311 in its second innings.
That marked New Zealand's highest fourth-innings total at the Basin Reserve but still well short of the 438 it sought.
Australian-born Ambrose, who has played in England for eight years, gloved four catches in the match but it was his composed maiden century that drew acclaim from England captain Michael Vaughan and his New Zealand counterpart Daniel Vettori.
Arriving at the crease with England in jeopardy at 136 for five on Friday, Ambrose made 102 of the 164 runs added for the sixth wicket with Paul Collingwood.
Their stand enabled England to post 342, a crucial tally given New Zealand capitulated for 198 in its first innings inside 58 overs on Saturday.
From that point England held control and although Brendon McCullum accelerated from 43 to 85 yesterday, Ryan Sidebottom's removal of Jacob Oram on Sunday night and Vettori in the second over yesterday ensured it was only a matter of time before the tourists atoned for their 189-run loss in the first test.
‘‘The partnership of Colly [Collingwood] and Timmy Ambrose was the real big moment where we felt we had the game,'' Vaughan said.
‘‘To get us to 350, that was a very, very competitive total on that kind of wicket,'' he added, before giving credit to his remodelled bowling unit.
‘‘To restrict New Zealand to 198, you're always well ahead of the game when you get that kind of lead.''
Vettori had to agree.
‘‘When we had them 130 for five we knew we could get into them. To have made inroads and for them to then make the score they did, we knew we had to bat well and we didn't.
‘‘It just all comes back to that session. He [Ambrose] took the game away from us.''
Vettori also lamented the sporting nature of the pitch although he would not entirely blame it for New Zealand's limp first innings.
‘‘If you want to be a good side then you have to adapt to all conditions. You can't turn up in Sri Lanka and then ask for the type of deck you want.''
Vettori said the decision by umpires Steve Davis and Rudi Koertzen to allow Sidebottom use of the second new ball in fading light on Sunday was also curious.
Five deliveries later Jacob Oram was caught in the slips cordon for 30, ending a blossoming 69-run stand for the sixth wicket with McCullum.
‘‘I went out there one ball later and it was pretty dark,'' Vettori said.
‘‘We were a little confused with the slow bowlers coming on then the new ball being taken but that's just the way it is. There's nothing we can do about it.''
Vaughan conceded the dismissal of Oram was critical, and a tad fortunate.
‘‘We got a little bit lucky. The sun just popped its head out for the slight moment just when Monty [Panesar] finished his over,'' he said.
‘‘It was worth the risk [asking for the new ball], even if we'd got only two balls with it. We set the trap up and fortunately it paid off.''
England's performance was far from flawless. Five catches were dropped on Sunday, with Ambrose among the culprits. He dropped Stephen Fleming on 10 and botched a stumping of Oram on 13, although neither miss was costly.
Resuming yesterday at 242 for six, New Zealand needed another 196 for victory and once Vettori was out for a seven-ball duck in the second over the die was cast.
McCullum fought a lone hand, bringing up his eighth test half-century off 80 balls and getting within sight of three figures when tail-ender Chris Martin came out to join him.
After blocking two balls from Panesar, McCullum went for broke and holed out on the long on boundary. Sidebottom finished with figures of five for 105 - his fourth five-wicket bag in 12 tests.
The third test starts in Napier on Saturday.
