The automatic valve to the freezing unit did not shut off and the temperature of the ice dropped to minus 16degC causing the ice to crack, the secretary of the New Zealand Curling Federation Peter Becker said yesterday.
The normal ice temperature is minus 4.7degC.
The organising committee spent Saturday getting the ice back to the standard required for international curling.
"We had to cancel the practice day on Saturday and it was held yesterday morning," Becker said.
When play finally started yesterday afternoon the New Zealand men's team of Warren Dobson, Rupert Jones, Scott Becker and Sean Becker (skip) got New Zealand off to a flying start with a 6-4 win over Japan.
Scott Becker was the star of the New Zealand team with some telling stones that kept Japan on the back foot.
Skip Sean Becker also performed strongly.
The scores were level at 2-all after five of the nine ends when New Zealand took two shots on the sixth end and added a steal on the next to lead 5-2.
Japan gained two shots back on the eighth end and had the chance to force the extra end on the ninth but astute positioning of the stones gave New Zealand one shot and the game.
Australia needs to make the final to qualify for the world championships and consolidate a place for the Vancouver Olympics in 2010.
But it made a stuttering start and was surprisingly beaten 5-4 by Korea.
The Australian team took five ends to open its score as Korea kept the initiative and led 4-3 after eight ends.
Australia scored one shot on the ninth to force the extra end but it was not enough.
China, the favourite to take the men's and women's titles, started aggressively with a three on the first end against Chinese Taipei.
It consolidated its position with a one and five on the next two ends to lead 9-0 after just three ends.
China, the most polished team in the men's competition, scored a four on the seventh end to lead 13-3. The game was then called off.
The Chinese women's team, the winner of the Pacific championships for the last two years, had to work harder to beat Korea 7-5.
The scores were tied 4-4 after five ends. But a two on the next end and a single on the ninth gave China the win.
Japan took a two on the third end and three on the fourth end to beat the Australian women's team 7-5.
Pool play, consisting of a double round robin, continues until Friday.
The semifinals will be played on Saturday and the final on Sunday.
