In terms of geography, 17-year-old Luke Dixon of Napier is not just top of the class or the school - he's right up there at the top of the country - and next week he has the opportunity to rise even higher.
The Napier Boys' High School Year 13 student has been picked as part of a four-strong team to represent New Zealand at the International Geography Olympiad being staged at Tver, in Russia.
The Kiwi team, which comprises the country's top four young geography students, will be one of 23 teams from all over the world taking part in the 12th annual event to be staged.
The other three students are from Auckland.
"Yeah it's pretty exciting - we've got five days in Russia and we'll be spending two days in Shanghai on the way," Luke said, adding the only previous travel he had done was to Australia and to the Cook Islands for a yachting competition.
But the journey to Russia will be no holiday, although he and his colleagues will get plenty of opportunity to tour the region - as part of the challenges they will be required to face when it comes to scoring points, and going for medals, in the competition.
"We'll be spending a lot of time at the conference centre there and we have three major tests to carry out where we get ranked for each one, individually and overall as a team.
"So we won't be putting our feet up - we have got to work."
His school's geography master Kane Boulton said that was Luke's whole learning philosophy and it had seen him excel in a range of fields - academically and sporting.
"He completed his Year 13 geography as a Year 12 as part of the school's accelerated programme - where he excelled in the subject," Mr Boulton said.
"He is very deserving of this opportunity to represent New Zealand and he will wear the silver fern and the Napier Boy's High School crest with pride in Russia."
To make the team Luke had to submit a 1000-word essay on the geography of the Hawke's Bay region, and focused on the Bay's coastal processes.
It was well received and he was put among the final top 20 who went to Wellington to take part in the final selection process.
His work hit the bullseye with the judges and he was chosen to represent the country in the Olympiad, which is for students aged 16 to 19.
Then the fundraising began, as, apart from some subsidising by the regional Olympiad associations, Luke has had to come up with much of the costs.
Local Rotary and Lions groups had stepped in, and Luke became a dab hand at a sausage sizzle.
"And mum and dad have helped a lot," he said.
His plan to save for a car has been put on standby.
"This is too important to miss."
His parents were understandably proud of their lad.
"This is not just a trip you get chosen to go on," his mother Mary-Jane said.
"He has worked hard and he has earned it - we are very proud of him."
Luke said the only downside of the trip was that he would lose nearly a fortnight's classes as this was his final, and important year, as he geared towards heading for Auckland University next year where he was looking to study environmental engineering.
"But I'll just have to get back and make up that time," he said.