Category Archives: Oceania

Last updated21:48, March 23 2017

Peter Meecham / Phototek.nz

PNG striker Nigel Dabingyaba's (R) goal could not prevent Tahiti from winning 3-1 in Port Moresby. Dabingyaba is pictured playing for Canterbury United.

Tahiti opened their World Cup Oceania qualifying group stage three campaign with a convincing 3-1 win over10-manPapua New Guinea in Port Moresby.

The home side opened the score in injury time at the end of the first half on Thursdaythrough striker NigelDabingyaba.

The 24-year-old,who had two games for Canterbury United in the Stirling Sport Premiership this season before signing forMalaysian League club Penang, looped a long-range header over goalkeeper MiakelRoche from AlwinKomolong's freekick.

But goals to midfielderSylvain Graglia in the 59th and 85th minutes gave Tahiti a 2-1 lead before Teaonui Tehau added the third goal in the third minute of added time.

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Tahiti host PNG in the second leg in Papeete on Tuesday.

They are now well placed to meet the winner of the series between New Zealand and Fiji in the Oceania group final.

The All Whites play Fiji in Lautoka on Saturday before a second leg re-match in Wellington next Tuesday.

Both Tahiti and PNG were without key players for the Port Moresby match with PNG missing skipper David Muta and goalscoring striker Raymond Gunembaand Tahiti deprived of brothers Jonathan and Lorenzo Tehau.

PNG suffered a major blow midway through the first half with forwardDavid Browne sent off on debut for an off-the-ball incident, but theystill went ahead through Dabingyaba'sheader.

Graglia drew Tahitilevel by converting from near the penalty spot, following a fine run down the left by the lively Teaonui Tehau.

PNG pushed forward at every opportunity despite the numerical disadvantage.

However, the home side's resistance was finally broken five minutes from fulltime as Graglia converted with a perfect strike inside the near-post following a lightening counter-attack.

Tehau added insurance with a comfortable back-post finish.

PNG goalkeeper Ronald Warisanwas forced off in the final minute with a serious-looking leg injury.

-Stuff

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Tahiti on track for Oceania World Cup qualifying group final after win over PNG - Stuff.co.nz

Even the mandatory pre-cruise safety drill was gracious and polite. As we gathered with our lifejackets in the main lounge, the British leader asked us to pay careful attention to the upcoming announcements, with a small amount of hush. Sure beats, Be quiet!

Boarding cruise ships, even in a port as efficient as Miami, can be chaotic. Oceania, with its small fleet of medium sized vessels, seems to have perfected the process. Its in keeping with the overall sophistication and professionalism of our ship. Marina, built in 2011 for 1,200 guests, is supported by a well-trained crew of 800 (among the best passenger/staff ratios at sea).

Marina is classed as an upper-premium cruise ship, one step down from luxury. It doesnt offer complementary excursions, free Wi-Fi or wine with lunch and dinner but prices are more moderate than top lines like Regent or Crystal. However, from our 10 days aboard Marina, we can state that weve never had better cuisine on any cruise ship and the level of service was second to none. There are no facilities for children and guests ranged from middle age to senior. Most were veteran cruisers (25 per cent were Canadian) who appreciated the casual Country Club atmosphere and luxury touches.

Marina is small enough to get around easily but big enough to offer a wide variety of culinary and entertainment options. The bright atrium with its glass elevators and the many public rooms all felt like a cozy club with comfortable chairs and great lighting. The library is huge with a wide selection of fiction and non-fiction. The ship was built in Italy and its heritage shows with lots of polished granite on floors and walls and sophisticated art works on staircases and in lounges.

Our standard balcony cabin was large by industry standards (270 sq. feet ) with plenty of storage space, good AC, a very comfortable bed (sheets with 1,000 thread count) and a generous-sized bathroom with Bulgari toiletries. All rooms have a mini-fridge stocked with complimentary bottled water, pop and juice. The high def TV offered movies and several news channels.

The pool deck is very generous in size with scores of well-padded recliners surrounding a salt-water swimming pool. Unfortunately, smoking is still allowed in one corner of the pool deck and, when the wind is right, the smell permeates the entire pool area.

For a relatively small ship, the evening entertainment was first rate. The ship has a troupe of six singers and six dancers, all very talented, complemented by a seven-piece band. During our 10-day cruise, we enjoyed four excellent and highly choreographed production shows. The band plays in other venues as well and a string quartet performs every afternoon (at high tea) and in the evening.

From its beginning in 2003, Oceania has stressed fine dining and Marina excels in providing outstanding cuisine from its 140 chefs in its main dining room and four no-extra-cost specialty restaurants. Celebrity Chef Jacques Pepin is Oceanias Executive Culinary Director and his influence is evident in the quality and presentation of all meals. His namesake restaurant Jacques is like a high-end French bistro with plenty of foie gras, caviar and rotisserie meats. His Dover Sole, prepared tableside, was particularly good.

The other specialty restaurants were Polo Grill (classic steakhouse with crab cakes, massive steaks and Maritime lobster), Toscana (wonderful lasagna, pan-seared sea bass and an extensive olive oil menu) and Red Ginger (Asian fusion specialties including spicy duck, Thai beef and an extraordinary Lobster Pad Thai).

The well-named Grand Dining Room is also open every day (breakfast, lunch and dinner) and offers an extensive menu with food and service thats a match for the most luxurious high-end ships. The informal Terrace Caf on the 12th deck (with several outside tables) is a buffet restaurant with a wide choice of freshly prepared dishes (the almond croissants at breakfast were better than any weve had at big city cafs).

Many Caribbean cruises have ho-hum itineraries but Oceania planned this one to hit some fascinating ports. In Cozumel we joined an elaborate Mexican cooking class at Playa Mia where humourous Chef Luis helped us prepare tortilla with shrimp, grilled grouper with tamarind sauce and caramelized plantain with chocolate tequila sauce. We then enjoyed our creations with bottomless margaritas. Cozumel has a great port facility with good, competitive shopping. Even Mexican beer was available at two for $3.00.

Our next stop, Costa Maya, Mexico, offered a wonderful historic tour to the Mayan Ruins of Chacchoben. The remarkable pyramids and sacred temples date back 1,500 years. Costa Maya has a modern port facility but shopping should be avoided. Souvenirs are expensive and the beer that cost $1.50 in Cozumel is $6.00 here.

In Central America, we visited the fascinating countries of Honduras, Guatemala and Belize. The highlight was Guatemala where we boarded a panga boat and headed along the tropical coast to the isolated fishing port of Livingston. We then sailed up the Rio Dulce River and visited a unique vocational boarding school in the jungle with 600 students. In Belize, we enjoyed a beach day on a private island, Harvest Caye, developed just months ago to serve Norwegian and Oceania cruise guests. Its a great facility with free beach chairs and beach umbrellas.

As we reluctantly returned to Miami several well-travelled guests told us why they love cruising with Oceania. One said he appreciated that there were no in-your-face photographers or Baked Alaska parades! Most just commented that fellow guests were informed and interesting and that the food and service were unbelievably good.

We concur.

John and Sandra Nowlan are travel and food writers based in Halifax

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Oceania Marina culinary cruising in the Caribbean - The Telegram

Steph Armengol, who previously held the position of senior director of hotel operations for Regent Seven Seas Cruises, has been appointedvice president of hotel operations for Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises. In his new position, Armengol will continue to report to Franco Semeraro, senior vice president of hotel operations for the two luxury cruise lines.

Armengol held his first cruise ship position in 1998 and joined Regent Seven Seas Cruises in 2000 (then known as Radisson Seven Seas Cruises) as sommelier aboard the Seven Seas Navigator. In 2005, Armengol was appointed general manager of Seven Seas Mariner, the world's first all-suite, all-balcony ship.

Ocean Cruises has a six-ship fleet that calls on more than 370 ports across Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, New Zealand, the South Pacific and the Americas. Oceania's Regatta, Insignia, Nautica and Sirena each have 684 guest rooms, while the Marina and Riviera have 1,250 guest rooms.

Celebrating its 25th Anniversary in 2017, Regent Seven Seas Cruises has a four-ship fleet that visits more than 425 destinations around the world. Regent Seven Seas Cruises is currently undergoing a $125 million fleet-wide refurbishment that will elevate its onboard productthroughout the fleet to the standard set by its newest ship,Seven Seas Explorer. The line's fares include all-suite accommodations, round-trip air, personalized service, unlimited Internet access, sightseeing excursions in every port, gratuities, ground transfers and a pre-cruise hotel package for guests staying in concierge-level suites and higher. Beginning in 2017, Regent Seven Seas Cruises also will include business class air for all intercontinental flights.

Visit http://www.rssc.com

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Oceania, Regent Seven Seas Cruises Appoint Steph Armengol VP Hotel Operations - Travel Agent

3/21/2017

ABERDEEN -- EnerMech has been awarded a pre-commissioning subcontract by Technip Oceania Pty Ltd, part of TechnipFMC in Australia, on the Shell Australia-operated Prelude FLNG project.

The work scope includes the pre-installation filling of the risers, riser leak testing, pressure monitoring of the umbilical and electrical steel flying lead during pipelay, and electrical flying leads and umbilical testing.

Works will be conducted in-field, located approximately 230 km from mainland Northwest Australia, with engineering and project management conducted from EnerMechs Perth Australia facility.

Jamie McIntyre, EnerMechs Australia manager for process, Pipelines & Umbilicals, said: Experience of similar pre-commissioning work scopes in Australia and the high calibre of our Perth Australia based staff who have strong credentials in process, pipeline and umbilical contracts, put us in a good position to win this contract.

We are looking forward to continuing our relationship with TechnipFMC in Australia and to working for the first time in-region on a project with Shell Australia as the end-client.

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EnerMech wins Technip Oceania pre-commissioning subcontract in Australia - WorldOil (subscription)

ASX-hopeful Oceania Healthcareexpects to generate $NZ33.5 million underlying earnings in 2017, increasing to $NZ51.4 million in the next financial year.

That strong growth is a key part of the pitch as Oceania's broker, Macquarie Capital, makes its pitch to potential investors on Tuesday morning.

Macquarie distributed chunky pre-marketing research reports overnight, which spend plenty of time talking about the New Zealand aged care sector and how the fourth biggest player Oceania stacks up to its listed peers.

"One of the key attractions of the aged care sector is its leverage to the aging population theme," Macquarie analyst Daniel Frost told clients.

"The economics of village development are extremely attractive: the entire cost of development is funded by the sale of occupation rights on the retirement units, which allows the owner's capital to be recycled into the next development."

Macquarie told clients that Oceania's net tangible assets were forecast to be $NZ417 million at the end of 2017, which would increase to $NZ480 million should goodwill be included.

Oceania is seeking to dual-list in Australia and New Zealand.The company is owned by Macquarie's MIRA and met fund managers as recently as a fortnight ago.

Oceania's pitch to potential investors is all about the development pipeline.

The company has plans to redevelop 1674 beds, according to Macquarie, which will see it upgrade older sites in prime locations.

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Oceania Healthcare's turn for pre-IPO reports - The Australian Financial Review

Details March 21, 2017

Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises confirmed the appointment of Steph Armengol as V.P. of Hotel Operations in a prepared statement.

Armengol, who previously held the position of Senior Director of Hotel Operations for Regent Seven Seas Cruises, will continue to report to Franco Semeraro, senior vice president of Hotel Operations for Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises.

We are very happy to promote Steph to the position of Vice President of Hotel Operations, said Semeraro. Stephs extensive experience in hotel management for Regent Seven Seas Cruises and pivotal role in the successful launch of Seven Seas Explorer will be a great asset to Oceania Cruises standing as an unrivaled vacation experience in its own right.

Armengol went to sea to take his first cruise ship position in 1998 and joined Regent Seven Seas Cruises in 2000 (then known as Radisson Seven Seas Cruises) as sommelier aboard Seven Seas Navigator. He rose to through the ranks and was appointed General Manager in 2005 of Seven Seas Mariner.

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Armengol Named VP of Hotel Ops at Regent and Oceania - Cruise Industry News

THE inaugural Global Organisation of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO) Suva (Fiji) chapter was launched in Suva on Sunday.

The organisation, which was formed in 1989 in New York, has shifted its focus on the Oceania region, primarily Fiji.

While launching the event, GOPIO Oceania co-ordinator Suman Kapoor said since its inception, the organisation had been creating awareness and promoting understanding of issues of concern for people of Indian origin (PIO) and non-resident Indians (NRIs).

"For the first time in the history of overseas Indians, a successful attempt was made in 1989 to bring the global Indian community together on one platform," Ms Kapoor said.

"Issues of concern relate to social, cultural, educational, economic or political of the NRI/PIO communities around the globe."

Minister for Education Dr Mahendra Reddy said it was through organisations such as GOPIO that ethnic bonding and connections were strengthened.

"There is a shift in human thinking, behaviour and other patterns of living. Humans are now discovering, experimenting and making things which had never been thought of before," he said.

"This organisation has grown in stature, now being recognised to be at the forefront of bringing the Indian diaspora closer to India and fortify the integral bond between India and its diaspora."

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GOPIO launches Suva chapter, shifts focus to Oceania region - Fiji Times

BEING crowned the Oceania champion was the pinnacle after a tough year for local mountain bike rider Josh Button.

After last year's season when Button reached the heights of a World Cup podium in April, the 27 year-old crashed to a horrible low breaking his hip in June.

With determination to return to the elite levels, Button not only made it back to racing, he made it all the way to the top of the winner's podium in Toowoomba last weekend while competing in the 2017 Oceania Continental MTB Championships.

"I thought I could have gone a bit faster but I'll take it, really stoked," Button said

"Just great to be back racing and can't wait for next weekend."

The next event on his radar is the 2017 MTBA National Championships which is being run this weekend at Canungra, west of the Gold Coast.

But to last week's triumphant return, Button finished only half a second ahead of New Zealanders Keegan Wright and Wyn Masters who finished in second and third respectively.

It was a run some doubted he was capable of as he approached the start line, even Button himself.

"I had a shocking morning practice having a small crash, and feeling a little off," he said.

"After some good food and an afternoon nap, I felt much better come race time. I put to together a really good run, with only a few minor mistakes."

After qualifying in fourth spot on Saturday, Button had a nervous wait as fastest qualifier Graeme Mudd was last down the hill but the Newcastle rider couldn't match Button's time of 2:46:05 and had to settle for fourth.

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Oceania title win has Josh back on track - Coffs Coast Advocate

Oceania is a region of the South Pacific Ocean that consists of many different island groups. It covers an area of over 3.3 million square miles (8.5 million sq km). The island groups within Oceania are both countries and dependencies or territories of other foreign nations. There are 14 countries within Oceania and they range in size from the very large such as Australia (which is a both a continent and a country) to the very small like Nauru.

The following is a list of Oceania's 14 different countries arranged by land area from the largest to the smallest. For reference, the capital city and 2011 estimated population have been included for each. All information in the list was obtained from the CIA World Factbook.

1) Australia Area: 2,988,901 square miles (7,741,220 sq km) Population: 21,766,711 Capital: Canberra

2) Papua New Guinea Area: 178,703 square miles (462,840 sq km) Population: 6,187,591 Capital: Port Moresby

3) New Zealand Area: 103,363 square miles (267,710 sq km) Population: 4,290,347 Capital: Wellington

4) Solomon Islands Area: 11,157 square miles (28,896 sq km) Population: 571,890 Capital: Honiara

5) Fiji Area: 7,055 square miles (18,274 sq km) Population: 883,125 Capital: Suva

6) Vanuatu Area: 4,706 square miles (12,189 sq km) Population: 224,564 Capital: Port-Villa

7) Samoa Area: 1,093 square miles (2,831 sq km) Population: 193,161 Capital: Apia

8) Kiribati Area: 313 square miles (811 sq km) Population: 100,743 Capital: Tarawa

9) Tonga Area: 288 square miles (747 sq km) Population: 105,916 Capital: Nuku'alofa

10) Federated States of Micronesia Area: 271 square miles (702 sq km) Population: 106,836 Capital: Palikir

11) Palau Area: 177 square miles (459 sq km) Population: 20,956 Capital: Melekeok

12) Marshall Islands Area: 70 square miles (181 sq km) Population: 67,182 Capital: Majuro

13) Tuvalu Area: 10 square miles (26 sq km) Population: 10,544 Capital: Funafuti

14) Nauru Area: 8.1 square miles (21 sq km) Population: 9,322 Capital: No Capital

References

Briney, Amanda. (28 December 2009). "Geographic Profile of Oceania - Learn Important Facts about the World's Oceania Region." Geography. Retrieved from: http://geography.about.com/od/specificplacesofinterest/a/oceania.htm

Rosenberg, Matt. (n.d.). "Countries of Oceania." Geography. Retrieved from: http://geography.about.com/library/maps/blrocean.htm

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List of the Countries of Oceania by Area

BY JAMES FARRELL Staff Writer

Community Board 11s transportation committee voted during the boards March 6 meeting in favor of a street redesign aimed at improving cyclist and pedestrian safety in northeast Queens.

The project runs along Oceania Street and 210th Street between the Horace Harding Expressway and Brooklyn Queens Greenway and is adjacent to Cunningham Park. M.S. 74 is also located along the route of the project, which was designed in part to make the area safer for students.

The project is shared between CB 11 and CB 8, and is currently being reviewed by the CB 8 transportation committee, according to the citys Department of Transportation. That committee must also approve the project before it can begin. The DOT is hoping to implement the project this summer.

Currently, there are two-way traffic lanes along Oceania Street, which merges into 210th Street, that are 25 feet wide, but the new project would cut each lane down to 11 feet, with eight-foot parking lanes on either side. Between the western sidewalk along Cunningham Park and the parking lane will be a two-way bike lane, with each lane measuring four feet.

Along the strip of Oceania Street that runs over the Long Island Expressway, the 19.5-foot travel lanes would be reduced to 12-foot travel lanes with buffered bike lanes on either side.

The proposal would also convert 210th Street, north of the merge with Oceania Street, into a northbound, one-way street. A diversion point for southbound drivers would be installed before the merge. The changes aim to improve safety at the merge, where southbound visibility is limited, according to the DOT. A crosswalk would also be installed in the area.

Finally, the proposal would install two high-visibility crosswalks at the north and south corners of 64th Avenue along 210th Street, a 15-mile-per-hour slow zone on 210th Street near MS 74, a 20-mile-per-hour slow zone on Oceania Street near MS 74 and the extension of parking regulations near the schoolculminating in the conversion of 18 parking spots into the designation No Standing School Days, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The proposal addresses concerns raised by the community, including a prevalence of illegal U-turns, encouraged by the wide lanes; and unsafe student drop-offs. It also includes more protections for students and cyclists, according to the DOT.

Reach James Farrell at (718) 357-7400 x 127, jfarrell@queenstribune.com or @farrellj329.

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Oceania Street Redesign Passes First Vote - Queens Tribune