"For us, coming here, is all about creating challenges for us and that's all we've been doing - preparing for the tournament."
While the club subsidised their trip to compete, not every member of the champion side could make it here for the start today because of job commitments.
"The first invitation went out to the Hong Kong national team but they couldn't come," Chiu said, before leading her side to cross sticks with the NZ Indians at 10am at Park Island, Napier, today and then reloading to take on Hawke's Bay Women at 6pm.
"It's awesome because it's not something that happens so it's a great opportunity and we're grateful for that," said the 31-year-old who is part of the 17-member playing squad, including Black Sticks legend Tina Bell-Kake who is player/coach.
"We dominate in Hong Kong and don't have much challenge there so it's an opportunity to play, we believe, very competitive sides who are faster, harder and stronger than what we're used to," says Chiu who is among Hong Kong senior representatives for a side who have clinched the league title for the umpteenth time and are in recess for a fortnight but will return to vie for the Knockout Cup at home.
The visitors' women's national team is ranked outside the top 20 and compete in the second-tier of the annual Asian Cup against the likes of Singapore and Chinese Taipei.
For the HKFC side, playing two games in one day will be a challenge in itself although they'll have earned a bye tomorrow.
A Hong Kong native with a Canadian/American accent, Chiu prefers to call herself a "Euro-Asian" because of her mixed parentage - her father is Hong Kong born-and-bred John Chiu and mother Catherine is an Australian.
Patricia Chiu, whose multi-national team comprises half a dozen Hong Kong natives as well as others from England, Ireland, the United States and Canada, bring an attacking brand of play.
Bell-Kake, 47, a former Bay player, said they would give away a few goals on defence but, hopefully, score more at the other end with the likes of Leigh Cumming, Nadine Greter and Sophie Patton forming the strike force.
"We play a faster paced game and that gives them more freedom to attack," said the former Colenso College pupil who has only been coaching HKFC since September last year.
She felt the Bay autumn weather was ideal, considering they find the Hong Kong humidity stifling.
Chiu attributes her accent to attending a Canadian/American international school whereas some children in Hong Kong attend British-run ones.
While the annual Hong Kong Sevens rugby tournament brings international focus to her country, hockey hasn't got an elite status there although it has grown in stature.
Her love for the game, which the British and Dutch expatriates dominated there, came from her mother, a former club player from Queensland.
"She found out there was a mini-hockey club in Hong Kong so she ended up taking us there when I was about 10 years old and coaching our team, too," she said, revealing elder sister, Olivia, 33, a centre-mid, also is on tour here.
Football and basketball are big in the former British colony and netball also finds traction with females.
Chiu attended Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane after fishing high school in Hong Kong.
A sweeper in the HKFC, Chiu finds her yoga helps her stay calm and collected under pressure while hockey fufils another need at the other end of the spectrum.
"Hockey gives me great space to be competitive and provides a balance where I can get rid of any egos. It provides a different outlet to be hard and strong."
