* Australia on track for a third consecutive session of gains
* Financials, energy stocks hit 8-1/2-month high
* Gold stocks at 6-1/2-month low as safe-haven appeal fades
* NZ cenbank to resume mortgage lending curbs next year
By Arpit Nayak
Nov 25 (Reuters) - Australian shares touched a near nine-month high on Wednesday, tracking an overnight Wall Street rally, as a formal green light for U.S. President-elect Joe Biden to transition to the White House assuaged political uncertainty.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average .DJI closed above the 30,000-point mark for the first time as investors cheered the positive developments in Washington and hopes that a potential vaccine will soon be widely available. .N
In Australia, states continued easing virus-induced travel curbs, with the country firmly on the path to virtually eliminating the virus as new infections slowed to a trickle. S&P/ASX 200 index .AXJO was up 0.8% at 6,697.1 by 2359 GMT, its highest since Feb. 27, on track for a third straight session of gains.
Energy stocks .AXEJ climbed to an 8-1/2-month peak after oil prices reached their highest since March on vaccine optimism. Woodside Petroleum climbed 4.2%, while Santos STO.AX jumped 5.2%. O/R
Heavyweight financials .AXFJ gained up to 1.9% to hit an 8-1/2-month high on prospects for a broader economic rebound.
Commonwealth Bank of Australia CBA.AX tacked on 2.6% and National Australia Bank NAB.AX rose 2.5% to lead gains in the sub-index.
Top miners BHP Group BHP.AX and Rio Tinto (LON:RIO) RIO.AX were the biggest winners in the metals and mining sub-index .AXMM .
A continued downturn in prices of safe-haven bullion saw gold stocks .AXGD take a beating and slip to their lowest in 6-1/2 months, with Evolution Mining EVN.AX and AngloGold Ashanti AGG.AX losing the most. GOL/
New Zealand's benchmark S&P/NZX 50 index .NZ50 rose 1.1% to 12,696.87, with local shares of Westpac Banking Corp WBC.NZ and Australia and New Zealand Banking Group ANZ.NZ rising 3.4% and 3.3%, respectively.
Meanwhile, the country's central bank said it intended to resume mortgage lending curbs next year amid rising fears of a housing bubble.