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New Zealand lost their recent home series against England but fit-again all-rounder Ellyse Perry says that means they could fire against Australia.

Back in national colours for the first time in a year, Ellyse Perry says the Australian men's tour of New Zealand has provided valuable reconnaissance as they prepare to battle the Kiwis.

On Sunday, the Southern Stars kick off a six-match tour of New Zealand, with three T20s before three one-day internationals.

Perry suffered another setback on her troublesome right hamstring during Australia's last international outing, in September when New Zealand visited.

After proving her fitness in domestic cricket, the 30-year-old is in quarantine with her national teammates once again - and couldn't be happier.

"I'm especially excited. I think we all are in a lot of respects," she said.

"I haven't played in 12 months but the girls have only played once in that 12 months as well ... they are few and far between international matches at the moment."

Perry is a certainty to start Sunday's opener in Hamilton where the women will be looking to avoid the first-up humbling suffered by their male counterparts a month ago.

Aaron Finch's side was skittled for 131 on a good wicket in Christchurch to start their series with a 50-run loss.

They were reluctant to blame quarantine at the time but Perry said the feedback from the blokes was the speed of international cricket caught them cold.

"Some of the mail we got from the men's team was just adjusting to the pace of a match again after being in quarantine ... that was the biggest shock for them," she said.

Alongside that men's series, New Zealand's White Ferns played England in a similar six-match series to the one Australia is about to begin.

New Zealand were poor, losing all matches except the dead rubber ODI, with captain Sophie Devine far from her world-class best.

The Kiwi form slump and Australia's recent 16-1 record against New Zealand bodes well for a one-sided series, but Perry doesn't see it that way.

"We're going to have to be really aware of Sophie Devine ... if she's had a bit of a lean series against England, it's probably not going to repeat against us," Perry said.

"Any time you take the field against New Zealand it feels like a super challenge. Such is the Kiwi way, they're always incredible competitors and fighters."

Perry is "a little bit bummed" to be missing the domestic final between Victoria and Queensland on Saturday, but said she didn't support moving it to accomodate the internationals.

"It's more important that game gets played because you never know what's going to happen," she said.