Teams from 24 countries will compete in the Olympiad, which will include a fieldwork trip into the desert to research people and water in arid areas.

The selection process began with the National Geographic Channel Australian Geography Competition, from which Lawrence was selected from 86,000 students to attend Geography’s Big Week Out in Noosa, Queensland, in December.

Lawrence said the five-day camp, which comprised long hours, challenging geographical activities and plenty of fieldwork, was good preparation for Olympiad.

“We had to evaluate resort proposals and look at the impact on the environment and water quality in the area,” he said. “It was great to be doing fieldwork in a new environment - we even got to ride the banana boats a few times between classes.”

Competition co-ordinator Kathryn Berg said the Olympiad would be a fantastic experience for the talented team of four.  “It’s not just the overseas trip. It’s the bonding with other gifted students from all around the world that really makes this so memorable,” Ms Berg said.