This year, the team representing Australia at the International Earth Science Olympiad had an amazing opportunity to undertake training in New Zealand. Leo, Tiffany, Alex, and Jeffrey experienced frozen rivers, mountain climbs and cave visits as part of their preparation for the challenges they would face in Jining, China, competing against more than 100 students from 34 countries.

Accompanied by ASO Earth and Environmental Science Program Director, Dr Leslie Almberg, and Co-Deputy Program Directors, David Brown and Wayne Wong, the 2025 IESO team was guided by a range of experts and Earth science enthusiasts. Thank you to all the geoscience educators who supported the team in New Zealand by generously sharing their immense knowledge and skills, building meaningful connections, and inspiring continued collaboration.

Leslie shares insights about their journey and how their time in New Zealand enhanced their Olympiad experience.

Friday 1 August

After a few tense minutes wondering if everyone would make their flights, both the Melbourne and Sydney crews were delayed for precisely the right amount of time to catch the most magical hour flying over the Southern Alps to rendezvous in Christchurch.

Saturday 2 August

With almost no confidence we would actually find our University of Canterbury (UC) and Māori guides, we were greeted with heartwarming joy in Amberly and set off for a frigid adventure back in time along the Waipara River to the day the dinosaurs died. A full day of trekking up and back down a partially frozen river was a bracing intro to New Zealand’s geology, topped off by a visit to an important Māori cultural heritage site.

Sunday 3 August

Prior to our geologic tour of the Banks’ Peninsula, we were introduced to the Māori culturally significant sites in the area and learned their creation stories. We explored caves, practiced interpreting complex 4D geologic stories, and discussed the remarkable parallels between the oral histories from the indigenous perspective and the geologic reconstructions. It was an extraordinary day of shared teaching and learning, forging deep connections, and contemplating the value of storytelling. Kane, our Māori elder guide, shared a truly special gift with us, a moment to don his family’s korowai (feather cloak) and hold his mere pounamu (stone club). It was a beautiful ceremony gilded by the setting sun.

Monday 4 August

Four University of Canterbury Earth science students and staff joined us back on the Banks’ Peninsula for an intense morning of discovery looking at the young volcanic complex comprising the central part of the peninsula. Students had opportunities to learn more about the programs offered at UC, the Earth science education development initiatives, show off their learning from ASO Summer School and Kioloa, and engage in complex problem solving in the field.

In the afternoon, we ventured to the University of Canterbury campus to visit their newly instated rock garden, modelled after the Earth Science Garden at Monash, their beautiful natural science building, and a few undergraduate labs. The students had a chance to play the newly released natural hazards game developed by the UC geoscience education group and to take a crash course on petrographic microscopy while the mentors discussed a game plan for initiating a national Earth Science Olympiad program in New Zealand.

Watch the Reel of the team in New Zealand

Tuesday 5 August

We packed up our bags, cleared out of our cozy little home away from home and headed to the International Antarctic Centre for a full day of fun learning opportunities before bidding adieu to Dave and flying on to Auckland. Highlights from the centre included riding in a Hägglund through an obstacle course, dancing down to -25°C in the cold room, keeping Jeff Gnathostomes out of trouble, and making our new best friend, Bu, the centre’s education director.

Wednesday 6 August

We caught up for brekkie with Eric (Penglong) Zhou, the NZ IESO mentor we met last year in China. He then took us to Rosmini College where we were joined by their geoscience teacher and enthusiasts for a jaunt around their local geo-highlights. This was an excellent opportunity to connect with others keen to see NZ join the IESO family with a national program and discuss how to get it off the ground. We then got ourselves off the ground and onto China!

 

Thank you, Leslie, for sharing your experiences and insights, and thank you to the team for providing amazing photos and video of their adventures. The Australian team went on to achieve success at the 2025 International Earth Science Olympiad – read about their results and see photos here.

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We are proud to partner with IXOM to make this training experience possible for students who may otherwise be unable to attend and participate in programs they have worked so hard to be selected for. Thank you to IXOM, who have been supporting students of the Australian Science Olympiads program since 2015.