They are here for three T20s in early October and the Black Caps will be missing three key players and possibly a fourth.
Will O’Rourke, Glenn Phillips and Finn Allen have been ruled out of the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy, and left-arm spinner and captain Mitchell Santner may be sidelined as well.
O’Rourke will be out of action for at least three months after scans revealed the fast bowler has a stress fracture in his lower back.
The 24-year-old sustained the injury while bowling in the first test against Zimbabwe earlier this month.
He will also miss the inbound tour of England (October 18-November 1) and the white-ball series against the West Indies (November 5-22).
Allen is set for three months on the sideline as well after undergoing surgery on his right foot, while Phillips (groin) missed the tour of Zimbabwe and will be reassessed in a month’s time.
Santner returned home from The Hundred during the weekend after experiencing groin pain.
He is set to have abdominal surgery and will be out for about a month. His participation in the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy is touch and go.
Black Caps coach Rob Walter said he felt for O’Rourke, who has made "an impressive start" to his international career.
The towering Canterbury right-armer has claimed 39 test wickets in 11 games, including two five-wicket bags.
He has not enjoyed the same kind of success in T20 internationals or ODIs, but his ongoing good health is important to the side.
The pace and bounce he is able to extract offers a point of difference.
But fast bowling and stress fractures seem to fit together like sushi and wasabi. It is a troubling injury for the young man and a nervous wait for Black Cap fans.
"We'll reassess [the injury] after that three-month mark," Walter said.
"Hopefully, the healing process has gone really well and he can get into that return to play [protocol].
"As we know with these things, there’s no definite time frame."
The good news is the injury does not require surgery.
The Black Caps will be missing some serious batting firepower in the absence of Allen and Phillips.
Allen has clubbed two T20 international centuries and he has a strike rate north of 160, while Phillips has two T20 international centuries and has developed into a useful off-spin bowler.
Santner will be provided every opportunity to play in the series.
"Mitch is a world-class player and a crucial part of our T20 side from a skills and leadership point of view," Walter said.
"With that in mind, we expect to name him in our squad when we announce it in a couple of weeks' time, and from there we can assess how his rest and rehabilitation progresses following surgery, before making a call on the eve of the series.
"It’s disappointing to lose the services of Glenn and Finn, who have played important batting roles in our T20 setup in recent times.
"Like in Zimbabwe, their unavailability will present opportunities for others to put their hands up in what’s going to be a hugely exciting and important series against Australia."
There is some good news on the injury front. Wellington paceman Ben Sears has recovered from the side strain that meant he missed the tour of Zimbabwe. He is expected to be available for the start of the home summer.
And test captain Tom Latham is making good progress from his shoulder complaint.
