Australia's new foreign minister has told her New Zealand counterpart the country has a "unique and powerful voice" in the Pacific sphere.

Penny Wong and Nanaia Mahuta met at Parliament for the first time in their respective roles.

Wong's visit comes amid a whirlwind start to the job, having now visited five countries across the Pacific in just over three weeks. She will travel to the Solomon Islands tomorrow.

It comes amid rising tensions in the Pacific that stem back to March when the Solomon Islands signed a security pact with China, sparking concerns it could lead to a military base in the Pacific.

Then China sought a wide-reaching agreement with 10 nations and its foreign minister Wang Yi embarked on a regional tour.

Thomas Coughlan, NZ Herald Senior Political Reporter, joined Heather du Plessis-Allan.

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