The Queensland Reds saw a Super Rugby Pacific victory go up in smoke after blowing an early lead to crash to a painful 35-17 defeat to the Hurricanes.

The Reds couldn't have asked for a better start in their Super Round clash at AAMI Park on Saturday night, looking to make a mark in their first match against New Zealand opposition this season.

They raced out to lead 17-0 after 30 minutes with tries from centre Hamish Stewart and flanker Fraser McReight, but then didn't manage to score another point.

The Wellington-based Hurricanes struggled with discipline early, copping a 9-2 penalty count and both centre Bailyn Sullivan and prop Pouri Rakete-Stones were shown yellow cards for dangerous tackles.

McReight's five-pointer came while Rakete-Stones was on the sidelines, with the livewire flanker popping out of a maul to score.

But momentum shifted in the 36th minute after the Reds failed to play to the whistle, when an intercept attempt by Hurricanes winger Julian Savea was ruled to have gone backwards and was scooped up by Sullivan who raced to the line unchallenged.

The absence of Wallabies playmaker James O'Connor through injury was felt as the Reds appeared to become rattled.

They lost Connor Vest to a yellow-card and then let Tyrel Lomax score right on halftime as their lead was whittled back to 17-14.

With their tireless skipper Ardie Savea urging his team on prop Lomax was in again just a minute into the second half as the Hurricanes took the lead for the first time.

Sullivan then crossed again in the 70th minute when he pounced on a perfectly-weighted kick into the in-goal by reserve playmaker Jackson Garden-Bachop, pushing the margin out to 13 points.

With the Waratahs also going down to the Chiefs on Friday night, it continued the misery for Australian teams against their trans-Tasman rivals.