But the serious prizes went to agricultural projects, with the supreme award go ing to 18-year-old Amber Kirk of Kerikeri High School.
Amber compared different methods for adding zinc, a mineral which stops cattle developing facial eczema, to dairy farm water troughs. She wanted to find the optimum method because if stock are not given enough zinc they can become ill with facial eczema; but if they get too much, they can be poisoned.
She is also developing a zinc-level testing kit with a local vet for use by New Zealand farmers.
``It'll save farmers money because their cattle won't develop facial eczema or get poisoned, so milk production will be at a peak. So it's also good for exports and good for New Zealand,'' she said.
Amber said she was ``very, very happy'' with her award, say ing a huge amount of work had gone into her project. She planned to start a BSc in biomedicine at Auckland University next year.
Another winner was 18-year-old Ashley Gill of Oromahoe. She noticed that when her grandfather, a beef farmer, applied a commercial herbicide to his pasture to kill dock weed, he killed the grass and clover as well.
Her experiments established the optimum concentration for killing dock with out harming clover, and found it was well below the manufacturer's recommended level.
As a result her grand dad has green paddocks this year and he's saved $200 on his herbicide bill.
Three young scientists were nominatedon Friday for the week-long national science fair, Realise the Dream. They are Leah Warren (``Bugswith Drugs'', KerikeriHigh), Timothy Richardson (``Ready, Set,Runoff'', SpringbankSchool) and Amber Kirk (``Chelating Zincon Dairy Farms'',Kerikeri High).
Nationwide 50 students are nominated; the Royal Society will choose just 19. Last year three Far Northerners were nominated, all from Kerikeri High,and all three were selected.
TOP AWARDS
Gold awards: Holly Mather and Nicole Obren, Opua School; Amber Kirk, Kerikeri High; Jack Williams, Kerikeri High; Aimee Larkan, Springbank School; Timothy Richardson, Springbank School; Melanie Jones, Kerikeri High; Leah Warren, Kerikeri High;Olivia Matthews, Springbank School; Aimee Leaming, Kerikeri High; Ashley Gill, Kerikeri High.
Outstanding awards: Dairy NZ best projectrelating to farming, Amber Kirk, Kerikeri High; Dairy NZ bestagronomy project, Ashley Gill, Kerikeri High; NRC best environmental project,Melanie Jones, Kerikeri High.
Top Energy premier awards: Intermediate (year 7-8):Aimee Larkan, Springbank School; Jack Williams, Kerikeri High. Junior (Year 9-10): Timothy Richardson, Spring Bank School; Aimee Leaming, Kerikeri High. Senior best in fair: Amber Kirk, Kerikeri High.