Australia's beach volleyballers have taken an important step towards securing vital places in this year's London Olympics after a dominant performance to win the men's and women's Asian Volleyball Confederation Zone Continental Cups New Zealand.

Led by long-standing Olympians Natalie Cook, Tamsin Hinchley, Louise Bawden and Josh Slack, the four Australian teams showed all their class to advance to the Continental finals.

Slack, a three-time Olympian teamed with Chris McHugh while Sam Boehm and Isaac Kapa combined to sink hosts New Zealand 4-0 in the sunny but very windy Mt Maunganui conditions this afternoon.

Earlier Australia's leading women's pair of Louise Bawden and Becchara Palmer and experienced Olympians Cook and Hinchley were too strong for the two determined Vanuatu combinations to win 3-1.

It will advance Australia to the next round of Olympic qualifications and give the teams an enormous confidence booster.

Bawden and Palmer are placed just inside the top 16 on the Olympic points rankings and continued strong showings could well see them qualify before the Continental Cup.

But the Cup finals appear to be the best avenue for Cook to qualify for her record breaking fifth Olympics and Hinchley's third.

The men's teams certainly shook the Kiwis up and sent a strong message to their Trans Tasman  neighbours.

Australia's head coach Steve Tutton praised Cook saying: " Nat did a great job as the old stalwart and the men crushed the Kiwis which has really shaken them but overall it was a great day for Australia to progress to the Continental finals."

Volleyball Australia