Category Archives: Oceania

Last March, Sean Lake did the double at the Oceania Championships and is again aiming for dual success in 2017. The IsoWhey Sports Swisswellness rider had a disappointing ride at the national time trial titles in January but comes into the event confident in the changes he's since made.

"Things have continued to move forward in the last training block and I am feeling really good about what performance I can put in for this time trial," Lake told Cyclingnews from Canberra ahead of the 41km test against the clock. "I have gone back to the same position at last year's Oceania's after not quite getting it right at nationals and it feels a lot better. I hadn't quite got my power up to the level I wanted and thought I was at nationals after losing a lot of weight. I think it is now and some results might start to come."

Lake, 25, has had a slower start to 2017 than last season to ensure he is feeling fresh and full of confidence after claiming the first general classification victory of his young career. The former rower won the opening time trial at the Victorian Road Series Tour of East Gippsland stage race last month.

The Oceanias are being held in Canberra for 2017 and with the change to a lumpier parcours than last year's course in Bendigo, Lake anticipates a tough challenge to defend his blue and white jersey.

"Joe is always a definite challenge in any TT and he can definitely go well," he said of teammate and NZ road champion Joe Coper. "On a hilly course, Ben Dyball I believe will hard to beat. Especially after the good time trial he did at nationals. The other one which will be interesting to see will be Hamish Bond, the Kiwi rower. We know he has a huge engine and if he can go fast then he'll be one to watch."

Having started to carve out a niche as a time trialist, Lake has also shown his capabilities on the road with back-to-back Grafton to Inverall wins and his Oceania win last year. However, Lake is looking to ticking the time trial goal before turning his attention to Saturday's 154km road race whichIsoWhey Sports Swisswellness will start with several cards to play.

"Both are super important to me but I suppose you can prepare a lot more specifically for a time trial than you can for a road race," he said of his two titles. "And a lot more things can happen in a road race. For the time trial, you have to put in the work and make sure everything is where it needs to be and that is what I have done in the past and it has given me good road race form. I have done a similar prep to last year and focused my training around the TT but I think that still holds me in good stead for the road race."

Jason Lea, Neil Van der Ploeg, Sam Chrome, Pat Lane, Jeremy Cameron and Cooper will line out with Lake for the road race with the team also aiming to secure a fourth year in successive it has topped the Oceania Tour rankings.

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Sean Lake aiming for Oceania time trial and road race defence - Cyclingnews.com

Jenny Blair should be racing in the Oceania Mountain Bike Championships in Toowoomba this weekend, but decided a babysitter is cheaper than a flight to Queensland.

Instead the Canberran will compete in her back yard on Friday at the Oceania Road Championships, to be raced on the Cotter Uriarra loop.

Blair hails from Ireland where she won a national mountain bike cross-country marathon title, a feat she matched in Australia, and is looking forward to racing on a familiar route on Friday.

"I'm trying to get back to that elite fitness and I ride the loop twice a week so it's very familiar. It's called extras to the locals because it's the extra loop after brunch on Saturday," Blair said.

"However it's three laps on Friday which is about 100km, so that's a lot different to training over it once, but there's no expectation on me and I'm just happy to get to the start line.

"There are some really good riders in strong teams and I'm riding by myself, so I just need to be smart and sometimes it's just luck, other times you need the fitness to follow the moves."

After giving birth last year, Blair is getting back into the competitive swing of things and said she simply couldn't pass up racing in such a prestigious event so close to home.

"I'm a mountain biker but I still ride most mornings with the Canberra Cycling Club. I'm racing on Friday because it's on my doorstep, that and and a babysitter is cheaper than flying to Toowoomba," Blair said.

"My fitness is good considering I haven't raced over the summer and that my 10-month-old dictates my training, but he comes along in the back seat sometimes."

Women's favourite is Lucy Kennedy took out the individual time trial on Thursday after negotiating a difficult course at Tidbinbilla National Park.

The 28-year-old National Capital Tour yellow jersey winner admitted she was surprised when drug testers told her they needed a sample.

"The drug testers came along and said 'you've won, now come and get tested', I guess that was my prize," Kennedy laughed.

"It was a big surprise because I didn't think I'd gone that well. It's a hard course and it's never a good feeling coming off, but I descended really well and I climbed well so it all just came together," Kennedy said.

Sean Lake took out the men's time trial on Thursday with the teams event to be raced on Saturday.

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Mountain bike champ Jenny Blair hitting the road for Oceania Championships - The Sydney Morning Herald

Small-cap companies such as Oceania Natural Limited (NZSE:ONL) with its market cap of USD $26 Million, benefit the most from improving economic conditions due to the growth potential, but on the other hand they also are highly prone to a downturn, thus making their financial strength an important factor in filtering out the risky ones. Although ONLs low debt-to-equity ratio of 19% indicates financial strength, theres more to it than just one ratio.

Primarily due to the lack of diversification in revenues geographically, often investors opt for a bundle of small-caps. While savvy investors arent wrong in looking for singular blockbuster opportunities and trying to achieve diversification on their own by allocating a small part of their portfolio capital to small-caps, that doesnt make these investments less risky individually. However, to help you reduce that risk, Im going to provide you with few basic aspects other than debt-to-equity ratio to gauge a ballpark estimate on how financially strong is the company. Check out our latest analysis for Oceania Natural

Despite low debt, for Oceania Natural to continue operations during a downturn, it needs a sound liquidity position. When evaluating financial strength, I compare a companys current assets (cash and liquid assets) to its total debt. ONLs current assets ($7M) easily cover the total debt ($1M), giving it enough control on its balance sheet to survive a downturn.

Oceania Natural (NZSE:ONL) Historical Debt Mar 9th 17

One of the key checks of Oceania Naturals financial health is to compare what it earns against the amount it pays as interest. This highlights the companys ability to service debt during a downturn. If a companys earnings are 5 times bigger than the amount it pays as interest, it is generally a good sign of financial health. In the case of ONL, the company is making a loss, therefore interest on debt is not well covered by earnings.

Oceania Natural (NZSE:ONL) Net Worth Mar 9th 17

Clearly, Oceania Natural has a significantly low debt on its balance sheet. The company fails to impress in terms of generating strong enough operating cash flows or earnings. Thus, for now, I dont find it a financially sound company. Now when you know whether you should keep the debt in mind as a risk factor when putting together your investment thesis, I recommend you check out our latest free analysis report on Oceania Natural to see what are ONLs growth prospects and whether it could be considered an undervalued opportunity.

PS. If you are not interested in Oceania Natural anymore, you can use our free platform to see my list of over 150 other stocks with a high growth potential.

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Oceania Natural Limited (NZSE:ONL): Does Low Debt-Load Make It A Financially Strong Company? - Simply Wall St

Lucy Kennedy isthe top seed for the Oceania cycling championships, which start in Canberra on Thursday, but she only turned to bike riding as a last resort because of her will to compete.

Kennedy was a runner at Iowa State University in the United States before she was sidelined by injury and decided she would dabble in swimming.

But she didn't rate herself in the pool so Kennedy decided it was time to test out a bike, and now she is considered a red hot chance at clinching the Oceania time trial championship as the top seed.

Kennedy is one of 228 riders converging on the capital for the Oceaniaroad cycling championships, with time trial and road race titles up for grabs across six categories.

"I dabbled in swimming but I wasn't very good at that so I got on a bike," Kennedy said.

"Initially it was just to keep fit so I could run again but that didn't really ever happen. I never really ran again.

"One thing led to another and just sort of fell in love with cycling."

It's a far cry from the "incredible"American college system, and a taste of international competition has Kennedy itching for more - only this time she'll be on a bike.

"The level of support you get [in America] is like nothing you see in Australia," Kennedy said.

"Definitely [keen to ride overseas], we'll see what happens. No firm plans yet but we'll see what opportunities come up."

The 28-year-old engineer has ridden the National Capital Tour twice since taking up cycling in 2014, and won the yellow jersey in 2016.

A return to Canberra continues a "wild" schedule for Kennedy, who rides in the High5 Dream Team alongside Canberra product Rebecca Wiasak.

"After this I think I've got about six weeks at home before another block of national road series racing," Kennedy said.

While "it's been a busy start to the year", Kennedy manages to head home to Brisbane between races - she's "got to go back to work".

But a hectic schedule bodes well for Kennedy leading into one of the bigger events on her calendar, because plenty of riding means she is in "pretty good shape".

She will come up against plenty of familiar faces - quite often Kennedy will travel around the country racing the same people - but a new track offers a new challenge.

"I'll be looking to win, that's the goal," Kennedy said.

"LisenHockings is back, she's been out for a while with injury so it will be interesting to see what kind of form she brings back from that.

"There's some strong riders but definitely the goal is to definitely get up on the podium."

Canberra duo Rebecca Wiasak and Nathan Hart have won spots on the Australian team for the track cycling world championships in Hong Kong next month.

Wiasak won gold at the Australian championships last weekend, claiming her maiden national title after winning the women's individual pursuit.

Hart led the ACT team to bronze in the team sprint.

The world championships will be in Hong Kong from April 12-16, with Wiasak joining fellow world championsAlex Porter, 20, (SA), Callum Scotson, 20, (SA)andSam Welsford, 21, (WA), punctuate the selections.

The team features four debutants, who recently won national titles,in Jordan Kerby, 24, (QLD)andNick Yallouris, 23, (NSW),withO'BrienandRohan Wight, 20, (SA).

Wiasak is part of a six-strong women's endurance squad, which won three gold medals in the team pursuit, Madison and points race at the track World Cup.

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Oceania cycling championships top seed Lucy Kennedy eyeing the ... - The Canberra Times

The 2017 Oceania Cycling Championships are set to continue tomorrow with the road version due to begin in Canberra.

The three-day event is the second of three Continental Championships in quick succession, coming on the back of last weeks BMX competition in Bathurst and prior to the mountain bike competition in Toowoomba on Sunday (March 12).

More than 200 of Oceania's best road cyclists will descend on Australia's capital with 12 titles to decided on the road.

Champions will be crowned in the time trials and road races, for men and women, in the elite, under-23 and under-19 categories.

Australia's Sean Lake will be looking to defend his time trial and road race crowns.

New Zealands Joseph Cooper will be aiming to reclaim the time trial title he won in 2014, while national championship medallists Jason Christie of New Zealand and Australias Ben Dyball will also be vying for gold.

Australias Shannon Malseed is chasing back-to-back titles in the elite womens category, but is likely to have strong competition from compatriots Lisen Hockings and Lucy Kennedy, and New Zealands Ruby Livingstone, all of whom are bidding for their first.

"Over an exciting three days, we will be sure to witness exceptional performances from elite and aspiring athletes from across our region including from Australia, New Zealand, Guam and Tahiti in under-19, under-23 and elite categories," Oceania Cycling Confederation President Tracey Gaudry said.

"Many athletes will be competing in their first international event, while the more seasoned competitors including Rio 2016 Olympians will be aiming to represent their country at the 2017 World Road Cycling Championships in Norway this September.

"The Championships is positioned as the marquee event within the 2017 Oceania Tour, all carrying UCI (International Cycling Union) status, providing an immense opportunity for athletes in the Oceania region to compete against some of the worlds best on home soil.

"The competition will be intense, heightened by the spectacular rugged terrain in Canberra and the surrounding Stromlo and Tidbinbilla regions."

Oceania's best mountain bikers will take centre stage on Sunday, chasing not just continental honours but potential selection for the 2017 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships in Australian city Cairns.

More than 400 riders will battle it out for 10 titles at the Jubilee Mountain Bike Park, in the cross-country and downhill disciplines.

Six cross-country crowns will be decided in elite, under-23 and under-19 categories.

New Zealands Anton Cooper is looking to make it back-to-back in the elite mens cross-country, but is set to face stiff competition from Australians Daniel McConnell and Cameron Ivory.

Australias Rebecca Henderson will be aiming to defend her elite women's cross-country title, with compatriots Peta Mullens and Eliza Kwan also set top be in contention.

The downhill category will see four riders become Oceania champions in the elite and junior mens and womens races.

Last Saturday (March 4), Australians Kai Sakakibara and Leanna Curtis were crowned the elite champions at the 2017 Oceania BMX Championships.

Sakakibara, 20, was too strong in the elite men's event, taking gold in an Australian one-two-three ahead of Matthew Juster and Aaron Nottle.

In the elite women's event, reigning Australian champion Curtis took the title having finished fifth a year earlier.

New Zealand's Rebecca Petch claimed the silver medal with Australias Rachel Jones completing the podium.

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Oceania Road Cycling Championships set to begin in Canberra - Insidethegames.biz

5 Mar 2017, 11:06 a.m.

Leanna Curtis efforts in the opening seconds of the elite womens Oceania BMX Championship final on Saturday were crucial.

SHE may not be happy with her starts, but Leanna Curtisefforts in the opening seconds of the elite womens Oceania BMX Championship final on Saturday were crucial.

A strong start off the eight metre ramp helped give Curtis the lead into the first bend at the Bathurst BMX track and once in front, no-one could catch her.

She added the title of Oceania champion to her status as current Australia champion, holdingoffNew Zealands Rebecca Petch in the closing metres.

The victory came after the Illawarra rider had to settle for second in Friday nights elite womensProbikx UCI Series final, which used the smaller five metre ramp due to wet and windy conditions.

I had a pretty ordinary start, but luckily I feel very confident on this track and I was able to come through, Curtis said.

With my starts, I am still struggling to get my body and legs throwing forward at the same time. Once that happens I will be back on top of them.

Today we started off the eight metre hill, which suits me a little better. The girls I am racing have a bit more power than me down the flat, but the bigger start hill is a bit more about confidence and skills and that was my advantage.

On Friday as Curtis returned to the track where she clinched the 2016 Australia title, she recorded first, second and fourth placings in her Probikx UCI Series motos.

Heading into the final of round three of that national series, Curtis biggest threat shaped as New Zealands Sarah Walker.

The two-time Olympian had the best of the start, Curtis third behind her into the first bend.

While Curtis made up ground over the back end of the course, the 2009 world champion held off the Australian.

I am still nervous about this track. The wind was very strong this afternoon, so I just focused on doing the best start I could and tried to be smooth around the track. I threw in a few extra jumps and manuals in the final, so that helped, Walker, who raced for the first time innine months, said.

Saturday was a different story for Curtis as she chased the Oceania crown. She won each of her three motos and boasted the fastest lap a 48.882 seconds effort heading into the final.

While Petch and fellow Australian Rachel Jones were alongside Curtis early in the decider, she was strong enough to open up a lead and keep it. Her time of 47.982 handed the talent her first major win of 2017, with Walker relegated to seventh.

It was good to finally get that win out of the way, I am really hurting now, Curtis said.

FLYING START: Australian champion Leanna Curtis (#172) was neck-and-neck with Rebecca Petch (#308) and Rachel Jones (obscured) in the opening seconds of the elite women's Oceania Championship final. Photo: ANYA WHITELAW

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Leanna Curtis claims Oceania BMX crown - Western Advocate

Oceania Cruises is well-known for its culinary offerings aboard its fleet, but further enticing foodies to travel with the luxury cruise line are its exceptional cooking classes offered aboard its Riviera and Marina ships as well as full and half-day Culinary Discovery Tours led by its chefs on its entire fleet.

Chef Kathryn Kelly, Oceanias Director of Culinary Enrichment, designed each of the culinary discovery tours offered by the cruise line. Kelly, who has been with Oceania since 2010, has extensive culinary experience both as a gourmet chef and owner of a restaurant as well as a member of the faculty at the Culinary Institute of America (from which she is also a graduate). Culinary Discovery Tours are offered on Oceania ships with itineraries that stop in such ports as Venice, Monte Carlo, Portofino, Marseille, Oslo, Helsinki, Corfu, Catania, Casablanca, Barcelona, Argostoli, Rhodes, Tangiers, San Juan, and Tortola.

Chef Kathryn Kelly is the Director of Culinary Enrichment for Oceania Cruises.

The only hands-on cooking program offered by any cruise ship, Oceania offers several classes from which to choose on its Marina and Riviera ships. The number of classes that are offered is dependent on the length and itinerary of the cruise. Participants in one of the programs explore cuisines and ingredients and learn culinary techniques, which they can later use at home.

Passengers on Oceania Cruises Marina or Riviera can take a cooking class aboard the ship.

Each class begins with a cooking demonstration led by the Chef. Students are then assigned to a station where they prepare the same dishes and then dine on their creations that are paired with a glass of wine.

Chef Kathryn Kelly of Oceania Cruises teaches a cooking class on the Marina ship.

The Amore: Love of Lemons cooking class featured such recipes as a fennel salad with preserved lemons, lemon risotto, scaloppini al limone and lemon basil gelato with a drunken limoncello cake.

There are classes on several of the Marina and Riviera itineraries that feature Arabesque, Sicilian, Cuban cuisine, as well as a Fish Master Class, Paella Master Class and courses that focus on such foods as pasta, pizza, tapas, crepes and favorites from the Red Ginger restaurant menu.

Oceanias Director of Culinary Enrichment Kelly and Master Chef Karlis while teaching a cooking class.

Master Chef Karlis (left) and Chef Kathryn Kelly of Oceania Cruises lead a Culinary Discovery Tour at the Blue Harbor Tropical Arboretum in Roatan, Honduras.

Marina passengers visited the hydroponic farm at Blue Harbor Arboretum in Roatan Honduras.

Passengers on cruises that stop at Monte Carlo have the opportunity to sign up for a Discovery Tour that features a visit to the Nice market and lunch at the famous Chateau Eza with a menu developed by Chef Kelly (with each course explained by the chef including cooking techniques and ingredients used).

As the Culinary Discovery Tours and cooking classes are extremely popular, it is advisable to enroll in them well before boarding the ship. We discovered the programs are often sold out months in advance.

Also read: Oceania Cruises Marina Review: Luxury on the High Seas

Carrie Coolidge is Co-Editor of Pursuitist and is based in Manhattan. From 2009 to 2011, Carrie served as Co-Editor of Luxist, the luxury lifestyle website at AOL where she ran the Luxist Awards, a program that honored the very best in fine living. From 1996 to 2009, Carrie was a Staff Writer at Forbes magazine, where she was a member of the Billionaire's research team, in addition to covering real estate, personal finance and the insurance industry, among other areas. Carrie is also the author of six books, including "The Closet Entrepreneur". Follow her on Twitter: @carriecoolidge

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Oceania Cruises Culinary Programs for Foodies and Aspiring Chefs - Pursuitist

Oceania CACS 2017 will provide insights into the solutions that can be adopted within organisations facing the accelerating impact of technology-driven change.

This is the premier ISACA event for IT security, CIOs, IS auditors, consultants, educators, IS security professionals, risk professionals and internal IT auditors in Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and Asia.

For members and non-members alike, it offers an opportunity for attendees to advance their careers, attend master workshops and network.

This year, the conference will be held over two days in Canberra.The conference will deliver cutting-edge insights from 14 industry experts, including four keynotes.

The 2017 keynote speakers include Alastair MacGibbon, Special Adviser to the Prime Minister on Cyber Security; Lynwen Connick, First Assistant Secretary Information Sharing and Intelligence, Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet; Mike Trovato, Managing Partner, Cyber Risk Advisors; and Gai Brodtmann, Member for Canberra, Shadow Minister for Cyber Security and Defence.

The conference includes networking drinks on arrival on Sunday, 10 September, with the commencement of Oceania CACS on 11 September. A gala dinner will be hosted at the National Museum of Australia on the first day, offering a chance to truly solidify business relationships in an enjoyable environment.

Image credit: iStockphoto.com/STEEX

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Oceania CACS conference targets technology-driven change - Technology Decisions

Australian black belt Kit Dale confirmed his participation in the 2017 installment of the ADCC World Championships by winning the Asia & Oceania Trials today.

Competing in Tokyo, Dale won the -87.9kg category to qualify. This will be his first time going to the ADCC Worlds, which are scheduled for September in Finland.

Dale is the third black belt from the Melbourne, Australia-based team Absolute MMA to qualify, with teammatesCraig Jones (-88kg) and Lachlan Giles (-77kg) already having won the 1st Asia & Oceania Trials.

Who's Competing At ADCC 2017? A List Of Everybody That Qualified (So Far)

The winners of theADCC 2017 Asia & Oceania 2nd Trials are: -65.9kg:Yuta Shimada -76.9kg:Osmanzhan Kassimov -87.9kg:Kit Dale -98.9kg:Yukiyasu Ozawa +99kg:Hideki Sekine Women -59.9kg:Rikako Yuasa

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Kit Dale Qualifies for ADCC: Full Results From Asia & Oceania Trials - FloGrappling

SOUTHAMPTON - World travellers wanting to experience more travel milestones during a single journey than many do in an entire lifetime can achieve their dreams with Oceania Cruises announcement of another awe-inspiring 180-day world cruise for 2019. With the unveiling of this global odyssey, the line is offering guests the flexibility of embarking the full world cruise in New York, Miami or Los Angeles.

Our exciting 2019 Around the World journey offers guests an expertly crafted route spanning the four corners of the globe, touching on nearly 100 captivating destinations and dozens of UNESCO World Heritage sites. It is truly the journey of a lifetime, said Bob Binder, President & CEO of Oceania Cruises. The added convenience of three departures, new for 2019, brings guests greater flexibility and can help simplify their travel plans.

Aboard the elegant and intimate 684-guest Insignia, the Around the World voyage brings travellers the journey of a lifetime, sailing more than 45,000 nautical miles across two oceans and 16 seas while visiting 90 fascinating destinations in 36 countries. Departing New York on 11th January 2019, Miami on 14th January 2019, or Los Angeles on 30th January 2019, this epic five-continent expedition invites seasoned travellers to explore the far corners of the world in luxury and style.

The Ultimate Route The lines new 180-day epic route for 2019 follows the sun west to the beautiful islands of Hawaii and the deep blue South Pacific before heading Down Under for adventures across New Zealand and Australia. Insignia then explores the vast marvels of Asia, the Holy Land and classics throughout the Mediterranean before crossing the high seas to New England, Canada and Bermuda.

To further enhance this incredible travel experience aboard Insignia, the itinerary features a total of 14 overnight stays including:

The Around the World journey also includes a host of free exclusive shoreside events for guests booked on one of the full world cruises. Highlights include:

Shipboard Highlights Aboard the acclaimed Insignia, there are only 684 privileged guests who are catered to by 400 professionally trained staff. Travellers will indulge in The Finest Cuisine at Seain four open seating gourmet restaurants where they will dine on continental specialities prepared a la minute by the lines innovative chefs. Enhancing the enriching nature of the journey, authoritative and engaging experts will deliver compelling lectures on history, art, and music. Throughout the journey, Insignia will be a sanctuary of modernity and old-world comfort. Her 342 staterooms and suites are elegantly appointed and 70% of them have their own private teak veranda, the perfect perch from which to take in the ever-changing panoramas.

Valuable Amenities No matter which of the three cities guests choose to sail from, Oceania Cruises world journey includes an array of valuable amenities including roundtrip airfare with free Business Class air upgrades, along with the Exclusive Prestige Package, featuring generous perks such as free gratuities, free onboard medical care, and free laundry service. The voyage also includes the lines popular OLife Choice package, which offers guests their selection of one of the following amenities: 72 shore excursions, a beverage package or a $7,200 shipboard credit (selected amenity is per stateroom).

Oceania Cruises Around the World 2019 journey opens for reservations on 1st March 2017.

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Oceania Cruises announces around the world in 180 days voyage for 2019 - Travel Daily News International