National Geographic World Championship
David and Kath (leader) in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park The team from Ghana sitting the first test Mathew concentrating during the first test l to r Roman, Mathew and David with a scarlet ibis at SeaWorld Mexico makes the Final Roman (or is it Mathew'?) patting a dolphin at SeaWorld The Australian team at the Final Claiming Mission Beach for Australia! David and the Apollo 9 command module From the top, photographers: R Zethoven, Rebecca Hale National Geographic Society, R Hale, R Hale, R Hale, R Zethoven, K Berg, M Beddard, K Berg	The next National Geographic World Championship will be held in 2009, probably in Mexico. Australia's team will be selected from the 2008 and 2009 intermediate level of our national competition – the 2008 winner Miguel Vera-Cruz (Fort Street High School, Sydney), the 2009 winner and one of the second-placed students. Australia participated in the 8th National Geographic World Championship held in San Diego, California, from 5 to 10 August 2007. This international contest, held every two years, is organised by the National Geographic Society. The countries taking part in 2007 were: Argentina, Australia, Bulgaria, Canada, France, Germany, Ghana, Hungary, India, Mexico, Poland, Romania, Russia, Singapore, Taiwan, United Kingdom and USA. Australia's team is selected from students who excelled in the intermediate levels of the 2006 and 2007 National Geographic Channel Australian Geography Competitions: Mathew Beddard, St Stephen's College, Gold Coast David Vasak, Sydney Grammar School Roman Zethoven, Trinity Grammar School, Melbourne Australia performed very well. In the first part of the test (70 questions x 1 mark) which covers a wide range of geographical knowledge, Canada and Poland tied for first place and Australia tied with Russia for third place. We slipped back in the second part of the test (15 questions x 2 marks) which is very specific place knowledge. In the combined preliminary scores, Canada had the highest score, followed by USA then Mexico. Australia was ninth. However, the top half of the field was close. The score range was 24 to 71, and Australia scored 61. In the Final Mexico was a very popular winner, with USA second and Canada third. The Australian team arrived in the USA on 4 August, one day early to allow some recovery time before the tests started. Did this mean we spent the day sleeping? No, that would have been a waste. We hired a car and drove to the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park to get a different view of California. This large park (approx 250,000 hectares) has dramatic landscapes and interesting arid vegetation. We saw lots of cholla cacti, very weird plants called ocotillo and a good close-up view of a black-tailed jackrabbit, which we inadvertently disturbed from the shade of a stone shelter to have lunch. Carrying lots of water, we set off on the Palm Canyon Trail following a dry watercourse (called an arroyo in these parts) with just an occasional damp patch of sand. It was HOT, about 45oC, so we turned back before we came to the oasis of California fan palms, retreating to our air-conditioned car. On the way back to San Diego we called in at Santa Ysabel, site of a Spanish mission founded in 1818. The programme of the National Geographic World Championship started that evening (5 August) with teams getting to know one another over pizzas. The next morning the first of the tests was held. This was over by 10.15am and we were soon on our way to Torrey Pines State Reserve to the north of San Diego. This park protects the chaparral plant community and the rare Torrey pine tree. The eroding sandstone cliffs make for dramatic coastal scenery. The reserve overcomes the potential litter problem of lots of visitors to a small area, by banning eating along the trails. Picnics are only allowed on the beach. That evening we had dinner on board the William D Evans, a replica paddle-steamer, as it cruised Mission Bay. On Tuesday 7 August, the second of the preliminary tests was held in the morning and then we had free time in SeaWorld. There was lots to do – rides like Journey to Atlantis and Shipwreck Rapids; patting the dolphins; shows such as Believe with the orcas; and just looking at the many different animals, e.g. polar bears, walruses, belugas, flamingos, penguins. At 5.00pm we met up with SeaWorld's education staff. We started with something not so educational – a $20 card to use in the arcade games. Laden down with our winnings of various stuffed orcas, frogs and dolphins, we had a quick dinner, then split into two groups: one group went back on the rides, the other group went on a tour of some of the aquariums, including behind the scenes where we touched sharks (only small ones) and rays. We met up again for the show Sea Lions Tonite, a very funny send-up of TV shows such as American Idol and Survivor, and also of SeaWorld's own shows. We finished off with Shamu Rocks where the orcas performed to rock music and special lighting effects, ending with a firework display. SeaWorld sponsored the World Championship and they looked after us wonderfully. As we sat down to watch Shamu Rocks the education staff passed out light wands, bottles of juice and snacks just to keep us going! Wednesday morning we went to the world-class San Diego Zoo. We had free-time scheduled in the adjacent Balboa Park in the afternoon but there was so much to see in the Zoo that quite a few teams (including the Aussies) spend a bit more time in the Zoo after lunch. We had great views of pandas, a 6-day old giraffe (and his mum), Andean condors, gorillas, even koalas! The guide emphasised that these were koalas, not koala bears. The Australian Government wouldn't have had any problem approving the gift of koalas to San Diego. There are eucalyptus trees everywhere in San Diego – along with paperbarks, bottlebrush, even the occasional Moreton Bay fig. Later that afternoon we went to Balboa Park, a magnificent urban park with 15 museums and various gardens. The Natural History Museum had the Dead Sea Scrolls on display so we made a bee-line for that. In fact we spent so long in there that we didn't get to any of the other museums. As you can imagine, security was very tight. In fact, the security check was set up in a tent near the front door so that you couldn't even get in the building without being checked. The exhibition on the Dead Sea Scrolls was fascinating, as was the accompanying photographic exhibition exploring the natural and social environments of Israel. Somehow the Aussie team fitted in before dinner a short sail on Mission Bay in a sailing dinghy rented from the hotel where we were staying. Thursday was the day of the Final, with the Canadian, Mexican and USA teams performing in SeaWorld's main stadium. Once the amplified voices and clapping started, the orcas started spy-hopping in the back pool. What was going on? How come there was all this noise when they weren't performing? The Final was very close with Mexico emerging as the winner. After lunching pool-side with the orcas we had more free time in SeaWorld. The Aussie team, along with UK team, two Canadians and one American, went off to Shipwreck Rapids. The warning signs that you will get wet, possibly saturated, are very true. There are even water cannon that the public can use as you float past to add to the deluge. From the hotel later that afternoon, that same group took a short walk to Mission Beach. Some of us swum and others rode the historic wooden roller coaster built in 1925. The day ended with dinner and an exchange of gifts with all the other teams – the last official function of the National Geographic World Championship. The Australian team didn't leave San Diego till the Friday evening. We started the day with another sail, plus kayak, on Mission Bay. Then Roman and Mathew visited the Old Town of San Diego, considered the birthplace of California and site of the first permanent Spanish settlement in California in 1769. David and Kath Berg (the team leader) went back to Balboa Park, visiting the exhibition Impressionist Giverny at the Museum of Art, and the Apollo 9 command module and a super-fast Blackbird at the Air and Space Museum. On the way home we flew ‘premium economy'. That's not business class but you do get a much appreciated extra 13 cm of leg room. The United Airlines staff member did not charge us for the upgrade because he said we were so nice – we had let an agitated customer be served when it had been our turn. I had so much fun and it was just great to meet all the different people from all around the world. Roman I thoroughly enjoyed the chance to take part in an international event of this scale and the challenges that it presented. I met a lot of very interesting people, the questions were lots of fun and overall it was a very enriching experience. David I have so many great memories of the amazing things we did such as, making so many new friends from around the world, visiting special places such as Torrey Pines, SeaWorld, Balboa Park and the Zoo. Mathew The Australians had a fantastic time and applaud the National Geographic Society and SeaWorld San Diego for their commitment to promoting geographical education and encouraging friendly relations between young people of different cultures.
Last updated 25 July 2008. For more information email admin@rgsq.org.au   Return to home