"Good to see ya ... g'day."

That's how Prime Minister Chris Hipkins greeted his Australian counterpart in Canberra today.

The trans-Tasman leaders met for the first time at the Prime Minister's Courtyard at the Australian Parliament.

Albanese welcomed Hipkins and asked him to sign his guestbook.

"I've been warned about the book," Hipkins joked.

Albanese extended his "congratulations, in person" to Hipkins, and acknowledged he understood he was Hipkins' first call to a foreign leader.

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He said Ardern had given him a "heads up that something was going on".

Hipkins said it had been "a bit of whirlwind since then".

The two will now meet privately, with likely topics of discussion to be the controversial 501 deportees policy, New Zealand citizens' rights in Australia and economic opportunities.

They will front media questions from the New Zealand and Australian press after the meeting.