Hector Day Geobake 2026
01 March 2026 - 27 March 2026
Region(s): Nationwide
Type(s): competitions
Hector Day on 16 March is the birth date of the reknown geologist Sir James Hector. In 2026 it falls on a Monday, so what perfect way to celebrate with a geoscience-themed culinary creation!
The popular and hotly-contested baking competition is back!
Dust off your aprons, gather up your rock flour, and find your apatite for your chance to win a year's free Geoscience Society of New Zealand (GSNZ) membership and spot prizes.

Hector’s dolphin
Hector’s dolphin (Cephalorhynchus hectori) was named after Sir James Hector (1834–1907), founder of the Colonial Museum in Wellington, now the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa.
How to enter
Design and bake something tasty that has a geoscience theme. Take a photo of your finished creation and email your photo(s) to events@gsnz.org.nz by Friday, 27 March 2026, 11.59 pm.
Be sure to include:
The baker’s name
A geoscientific explanation of the baked item (50 words max.)
The baker’s contact details (email address and phone number)
Anonymised entries will be judged by the GSNZ National Committee the following week.
Winners will be announced in a GSNZ Newsflash.
For more information: https://gsnz.org.nz/gsnz-events/ViewEvent/469.
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Check out the Waikato Biogeochemistry and Ecohydrology Research cakes. See how cakes tell science stories.

Research cakes
Professor Louis Schipper challenges his students and colleagues to explain their scientific findings via cake. Research cakes are a means of explaining complex science in a pictorial and edible manner, busting the myth that science is routine and boring.
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