Australian shares leapt 1.2 per cent on Wednesday, following a mildly positive lead from Wall Street, as bears were forced to cover short positions.
The S&P/ASX 200 index gained 61.4 points to 5,396.2, though it was still down 2.3 per cent this month.
New Zealand's benchmark NZX 50 index rose 0.3 per cent or 14.7 points to finish the session at 5,457.4.