http://nz.biz.yahoo.com//090323/26/bfw3.html

(Updates to market open, cahnges dateline)

WELLINGTON, March 24 (Reuters) - Australian shares rose 2.6 percent on Tuesday, with banks and miners leading the gains on optimism over a U.S. plan to rid bank of toxic assets that had fed a strong rally on Wall St.

The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 index .AXJO gained 91.5 points to 3,641.8 by 2310 GMT, after rising 2.3 percent on Monday to its highest closing level in five weeks.

New Zealand's NZX-50 index .NZ50 rose 2.8 percent to 2,664.5. (Reporting by Adrian Bathgate)