Blick graduated from Otago University in 1980, with a degree in surveying, and worked for several years at GNS Science focused on measurement of crustal deformation across New Zealand.
In 1992/1993 he won a visiting NAVSTAR scientist award to work on plate tectonics, until in 1995 he joined Land Information New Zealand, where he established the Antarctic mapping and charting programme.
From 2009 he worked as Chief Geodesist of New Zealand; that same year he announced the launch of a new series of topographical maps for the country.
[2][3][4][5][6][7] From 2013 Blick represented New Zealand at the United Nations Global Geospatial Information Management Committee of Experts.
He has been a longstanding member of the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research, and also chaired the FIG Commission on Reference Frames.