Enterprise and endeavour came throughout but those charms were balanced by mistakes and lapses from sides who have delivered patchy starts to their Super 15 schedules.
Colin Slade missed a handy 25 penalty with five minutes to play which would have given them a late shot at an elusive win.
When they got another awarded a minute later they kicked for touch but botched the lineout and the chance of their first tournament win disappeared.
The Hurricanes made the early play with Brad Shields stopped in the corner in a combined tackle however captain Conrad Smith claimed the recycled ball to surge across in the 8th minute.
Somewhere in the move Highlanders captain Andrew Hore damaged his ribs and left the field while his opposite, Motu Matu'u, smashed rivals down.
There was plenty of recycling and ball movement from the Highlanders but most of their work was sideways.
When the Hurricanes took a fortunate rebound they showed their hosts how to claim dividends. They switched the ball quickly from one side of the stadium to the other, Victor Vito dummied and offloaded to loosehead prop Ben Franks.
Franks lowered his shoulder and sent Ben Smith sprawling as he powered to the tryline.
What was becoming a little grim for the Highlanders, changed when they used an attacking scrum to set up key attacker Hosea Gear for a run at Beauden Barrett's defensive channel. It was no contest. Gear blasted past his All Black teammate.
Neither side knew how to take charge and keep it.
Hurricanes 23: (Conrad Smith, Ben Franks, TJ Perenara tries; Beauden Barrett 2 pen, con)
Highlanders 19: (Hosea Gear, tries; Colin Slade 4 pen, con). HT: Highlanders 13-12
