Jones, who came second in the K1 at Rio 2016, is aiming to star on home water at the Wero Whitewater Park with competition beginning tomorrow.

She will face competition for the Oceania crown from the likes of Australia's Jessica Fox, a double Olympic medallist who won silver at London 2012 and then bronze in Rio.

The field will also be bolstered, however, with canoeists from other continents who have been invited to strengthen the standard of competition.

In the women's K1 this will include the likes of Germany's 2009 champion Jasmin Schornberg.

"There's healthy competition between New Zealand and Australia for our summer races but add a few Czechs, French, Slovaks, Americans and Germans and it's a great field that is definitely only positive for our preparation," Fox, the K1 world champion and a former C1 world champion, said to Stuff.

"Although they are not in the same training phase as us, it's still great to have some of the best international athletes here to compare ourselves to and lift our level."

The men's field will feature Slovakia's C1 world number one Matej Benus, the Olympic silver medallist.

Ben Gibb and Patrick Washer will fly the flag for New Zealand in this event.

In the men's K1, Olympic champion Joe Clarke of Great Britain will be among those to battle the Oceania canoeists.

World number one Mathieu Biazizzo of France will also aim to challenge alongside triple world champion Ondrej Tunka of the Czech Republic.

Both C1 and K1 action will begin the Championships tomorrow, with competition lasting for three days.