Supporting education and innovation
LEARNZ is a programme of free virtual field trips, taking learners to remote places all over Aotearoa, Antarctica and beyond. Visit inspiring places and access the inaccessible - let us take you there!
Nau Mai Haere Mai
Welcome to our new website — reimagined for easier searching and seamless navigation.
Our field trips from the last five years will be available here over the next few months.
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Sign up for our latest Online Field Trip:
On unstable ground
Exploring landslide risks and management
Launches Monday August 17th
Aotearoa is a land of incredible scenery. The tectonic forces that have created our beautiful landscapes also make them prone to natural hazards such as earthquakes, volcanoes, tsunami and landslides. Of all these natural hazards, landslides are the most costly, causing more loss of life than earthquakes and volcanoes combined.
On this field trip, we’ll take you from urban Tahuna ❘ Queenstown to the rural Cromwell Gorge ❘ Tīrau and its famous Clyde Dam on the Mata-Au River. Expert geoscientists will guide you on this journey to explore different types of landslides, their causes, how to prepare for them, and what engineers do to manage their impacts.
Objectives
The objectives of this virtual field trip are to:
increase awareness and understanding of Earth’s dynamic systems and natural hazard processes
highlight the causes and effects of landslides and how they impact people and infrastructure
equip participants with the knowledge and skills to prepare for and respond to landslides.
Key learning
Through this field trip, participants will:
explore landslides and debris flows
understand what causes these hazards and how they affect communities
learn how geoscientists monitor, mitigate and respond to ongoing land movement and landslide events
discover how to prepare for an emergency and how to look after yourself and others.
Student-led inquiry
Empower your ākonga to take charge of their learning journey. Encourage them to ask meaningful questions, explore resources, and embark on their own journey of natural hazard preparedness.
Curriculum alignment
This virtual field trip aligns with the refreshed New Zealand Curriculum (2022). It covers a range of learning areas, predominantly science and social sciences. Access guidance that supports teaching and learning to align with curriculum goals.
Be prepared – Stay safe – Understand your world
Join us on this LEARNZ adventure and become part of a generation ready to face natural hazards with knowledge, courage, and care.
Launch date
The official launch date for this trip is Monday, 17 August 2026.
This online field trip is generously supported by Natural Hazards Commission Toka Tū Ake
Sign up for our next Online Field Trip:
Snowline Secrets
What Glaciers tell us about our changing climate
Launches Monday, 14 September 2026.
Glaciers are a taonga and vital to both the health of people and te taiao, the natural environment. Our spectacular glaciers attract tourists, feed major hydroelectric power schemes, nourish delicate ecosystems and act as highly sensitive indicators of climate change.
During this field trip, you will join scientists on a flight along the length of Kā Tiritiri o te Moana, the Southern Alps to complete the end of summer snowline survey. This aerial survey is run by Earth Sciences New Zealand and has been carried out every year for nearly 50 years. You will explore the importance of glaciers, discover how they shape our landscape and how they are responding to our changing climate.
Objectives
The objectives of this virtual field trip are to:
increase awareness and understanding of glaciers, their formation and how they respond to changes in climate
highlight the global importance of glaciers to people and the environment
identify glacial landforms and describe how they are formed
Key learning
Through this field trip, participants will:
explore glaciers of Te Waipounamu and the landscape they have help shape
understand how glaciers form and how they respond to changes in average temperature and precipitation
learn how glaciologists measure glaciers and monitor changes in glaciers over time
discover the importance of glaciers to our natural ecosystems and the New Zealand economy.
Curriculum alignment
This virtual field trip aligns with The New Zealand Curriculum refresh. It covers a range of learning areas, predominantly science and social sciences. Access guidance that supports teaching and learning to align with curriculum goals.
Sustainable development goals
This trip reflects the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially Goal 13: Climate Action: Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts.
Launch date
The official launch date for this trip is Monday, 14 September 2026.
Educators are innovators
For over two decades, LEARNZ has evolved into a comprehensive virtual field trip programme for the education sector.
Virtual field trips
A virtual field trip gives you access to online video and audio feeds, activities and much more.
Become part of LEARNZ
Every year LEARNZ offers a variety of online field trips that allow ākonga (students) to connect with people and places all around New Zealand and beyond. No permission slips required! Your ākonga can visit all kinds of places, across a range of learning areas, from the comfort of their classroom or home. Let LEARNZ take your ākonga there!
Contact LEARNZ
If you have any queries about LEARNZ trips, or to discuss how you would like to sponsor this valuable contribution to New Zealand education, here's how.
You can also contact LEARNZ, part of Tātai Aho Rau CORE Education, at:
Email:
help@learnz.org.nz
Postal address:
PO Box 13678,
Christchurch 8141,
New Zealand