Rik Leaf's Blog, page 5

Slam Poetry Can Set Your Students Free

A Game-Changing Moment For Young Writers

As a student I hated report cards. It wasn’t the mediocre grades that bothered me; it was the effect the teacher’s comments would always have on my parents. “Easily distracted” “disruptive in class” “passes too many notes” “preoccupied by narcissistic illusions of grandeur” haha…OK I admit, I made that last one up. But you get the drift.

My Grade 4 teacher generously described me as, “an eager, yet unexceptional student.” My unexceptional exuberance was captured perfectly one day when I copied down the teacher’s message from the blackboard for our end of school party. Describing the menu, I wrote with gusto that we would be eating, “weners and calk” instead of “wieners and cake.”

That night at the supper table I gave the now, ‘infamous’ note to my parents. I can still picture my family howling uncontrollably with laughter, as they passed the note back and forth taking turns blubbering out the phrase, ‘weners and calk’ as tears of mirth ran in rivers down their glistening cheeks. I am teased mercilessly about that note to this day!

I happily share my ‘weners and calk’ story, because believe it or not, it became a huge inspiration for my slam poetry workshops.

As a teacher, you know there are many reasons students can get shut down and fail to recognize their creative potential. In her book, The Artist’s Way, Julia Cameron describes the voices in our head that tell us we can’t do something as, censors. Being a bad speller was definitely one of my censors. I mean seriously, how could little Rikky Leaf ever imagine he would grow up to become a professional writer when he couldn’t even spell wieners and cake!

Enter slam poetry…

Slam poetry is the combination of creative writing and creative performance. Where traditional poetry was experienced through published books and journals, slam poetry is only experienced when it’s performed. So to begin, I tell students not to worry about spelling, grammar and punctuation because no one is going to read what they write but them. So if they know what they’re trying to say, that’s all that matters.

The creative performance element of slam poetry is equally as powerful and important but for different reasons. Slam poetry is different than acting because we don’t use costumes or props. It’s also different than rap or hip-hop because there are no beats and no music. It’s just about words.

So you don’t have to be interested in theatre and or want to be an actor and you don’t need to be musical or have any expensive gear or equipment…it’s just about words and finding your way of expressing yourself.

I recognized that many students were shut down creatively because of the rules of writing. It wasn’t that they didn’t have anything to say or weren’t excited about writing; it was that they didn’t think they could do it, or would be allowed to do it, if they didn’t follow the rules.

This was my big ‘Ah-Ha’ moment and I told them not to worry about spelling, grammar and punctuation. This simple step of removing the rules from the equation is always a game changing moment for some students. Usually the student’s who struggle the most and are the least engaged with creative writing. Suddenly the roadblocks are gone and there is nothing but open road. Given this freedom, students can approach words in a new way. It levels the playing field for all the “wener and calk” writers out there!

Censors are stingy little gatekeepers that withhold the keys to creativity. Taking away their power and getting them out of the way is something I love to do. There are always students who come alive in slam poetry workshops in ways they never have before, and as a teacher you know how awesome that is to see.

Obviously it’s not that the rules of writing aren’t important, but as writers we can always learn the rules later. The first step is the hardest, and taking a creative risk and try something new takes courage and a safe and supportive environment.

Next time I have to tell you this hilarious story of a little elementary student that innocently suggested I change the name of the poem I’d just performed. He came up with the best slam poem title I’ve ever heard…but if I ever tried to use it in a school I’m 100% sure the teacher would immediately drag me down the hall to the principal’s office before I could say another word. But the title is GOLD! I’d tell you now, but I can still hear my Grade 4 teacher in my head, “Rik is too easily distracted by stories and can’t focus long enough to even finish a simple blog post!”

We are only as limited as our creative talents and abilities…so imagine who we could be and what we could do if we gave ourselves permission to explore the gifts inside of us.

If you have any thoughts, feedback or stories of your own, I’d love it if you’d leave a comment below.

I hope you’re having a great week!

Rik Leaf Slam Poet

Hi! I’m Rik Leaf!

As a performer/producer, published author and slam poet, discovering the value of my own creative talents and abilities has allowed me to tour the world, and participate in some life changing projects with the United Nations and the Foreign Affairs Department of Canada.

I’m the author of, Four Homeless Millionaires – How One Family Found Riches By Leaving Everything Behind, and the Creative Director for Tribe of One, an international collective of indigenous artists, musicians, dancers and slam poets.

Developing the Slam Poetry in Schools training course for teachers, is a passion project 10 years in the making.

I’d also like to invite you to join a Closed Facebook Group I started called, The Teacher’s Toolbox. It is an online forum designed to provide creative and cultural project development ideas and support for teachers.

 

 

 

 

The post Slam Poetry Can Set Your Students Free appeared first on Rik Leaf.

My Big ‘Ah-Ha’ Slam Poetry Revelation

A Game-Changing Moment That Will Set Your Students Free

As a student I hated report cards. It wasn’t the mediocre grades that bothered me; it was the effect the teacher’s comments would always have on my parents. “Easily distracted” “disruptive in class” “passes too many notes” “preoccupied by narcissistic illusions of grandeur” haha…OK I admit, I made that last one up. But you get the drift.

My Grade 4 teacher generously described me as, “an eager, yet unexceptional student.” My unexceptional exuberance was captured perfectly one day when I copied down the teacher’s message from the blackboard for our end of school party. Describing the menu, I wrote with gusto that we would be eating, “weners and calk” instead of “wieners and cake.”

That night at the supper table I gave the now, ‘infamous’ note to my parents. I can still picture my family howling uncontrollably with laughter, as they passed the note back and forth taking turns blubbering out the phrase, ‘weners and calk’ as tears of mirth ran in rivers down their glistening cheeks. I am teased mercilessly about that note to this day!

I happily share my ‘weners and calk’ story, because believe it or not, it became a huge inspiration for my slam poetry workshops.

As a teacher, you know there are many reasons students can get shut down and fail to recognize their creative potential. In her book, The Artist’s Way, Julia Cameron describes the voices in our head that tell us we can’t do something as, censors. Being a bad speller was definitely one of my censors. I mean seriously, how could little Rikky Leaf ever imagine he would grow up to become a professional writer when he couldn’t even spell wieners and cake!

Enter slam poetry…

Slam poetry is the combination of creative writing and creative performance. Where traditional poetry was experienced through published books and journals, slam poetry is only experienced when it’s performed. So to begin, I tell students not to worry about spelling, grammar and punctuation because no one is going to read what they write but them. So if they know what they’re trying to say, that’s all that matters.

The creative performance element of slam poetry is equally as powerful and important but for different reasons. Slam poetry is different than acting because we don’t use costumes or props. It’s also different than rap or hip-hop because there are no beats and no music. It’s just about words.

So you don’t have to be interested in theatre and or want to be an actor and you don’t need to be musical or have any expensive gear or equipment…it’s just about words and finding your way of expressing yourself.

I recognized that many students were shut down creatively because of the rules of writing. It wasn’t that they didn’t have anything to say or weren’t excited about writing; it was that they didn’t think they could do it, or would be allowed to do it, if they didn’t follow the rules.

This was my big ‘Ah-Ha’ moment and I told them not to worry about spelling, grammar and punctuation. This simple step of removing the rules from the equation is always a game changing moment for some students. Usually the student’s who struggle the most and are the least engaged with creative writing. Suddenly the roadblocks are gone and there is nothing but open road. Given this freedom, students can approach words in a new way. It levels the playing field for all the “wener and calk” writers out there!

Censors are stingy little gatekeepers that withhold the keys to creativity. Taking away their power and getting them out of the way is something I love to do. There are always students who come alive in slam poetry workshops in ways they never have before, and as a teacher you know how awesome that is to see. Obviously it’s not that the rules of writing aren’t important, but as writers we can always learn the rules later. The first step is the hardest, and taking a creative risk and try something new takes courage and a safe and supportive environment.

Next time I have to tell you this hilarious story of an elementary student that turned our Friday afternoon school assembly into a full on rock and roll debacle that felt like something you’d read about Keith Richards and the Rolling Stones. I’d tell you now, but I can still hear my Grade 4 teacher in my head, “Rik is too easily distracted by stories and can’t focus long enough to even finish a simple blog post!”

We are only as limited as our creative talents and abilities…so imagine who we could be and what we could do if we gave ourselves permission to explore the gifts inside of us.

If you have any thoughts, feedback or stories of your own, I’d love it if you’d leave a comment below.

I hope you’re having a great week!

Rik Leaf Slam Poet

Hi! I’m Rik Leaf!

As a performer/producer, published author and slam poet, discovering the value of my own creative talents and abilities has allowed me to tour the world, and participate in some life changing projects with the United Nations and the Foreign Affairs Department of Canada.

I’m the author of, Four Homeless Millionaires – How One Family Found Riches By Leaving Everything Behind, and the Creative Director for Tribe of One, an international collective of indigenous artists, musicians, dancers and slam poets.

Developing the Slam Poetry in Schools training course for teachers, is a passion project 10 years in the making.

 

 

 

 

The post My Big ‘Ah-Ha’ Slam Poetry Revelation appeared first on Rik Leaf.

This Simple Student Filmmaking Project Is Powerful & Effective

A Low-Cost, High-Impact Filmmaking Project For Students & Schools

A few months ago, a simple little idea snowballed into an awesome filmmaking project in school. The whole production was such a success, I wanted to share it with you and explain how we did in case you’d like to use it in your school. And of course, I’ve included the EPIC VIDEO below!

I got the idea as I was walking the down the hall and two things happened at once. As one student was handing me a little encouraging note they’d written for me, another kid threw a paper plane that smacked me in the head. I combined the two experiences, and at the end of the day went straight to the top and pitched the idea to the principal. I half expected him to say there would be health and safety regulations like all the kids would need to wear steel toe boots, hardhats and safety goggles! After giving his stamp of enthusiastic approval, the principal worked out the logistics with the teachers, so that when we gathered on Friday afternoon for our big wrap party assembly, everything was ready.

Here’s The Big Picture

Part One. Every student in the school wrote a positive and encouraging message on a piece of paper and then made a paper airplane with their message hidden inside. Everyone made one. Everyone brought one. Everyone threw one. Everyone got one. All the classes had conversations about how our words don’t always go where we intend, but they always have power. Sometimes our words encourage those around us, and sometimes they hurt.

Part Two. We filmed the entire spectacle at the assembly and used the footage to make a film that included all the students in the school.

Making the planes was a fun project for the students to work on. It was also a great opportunity to think about others and imagine words that could make someone’s day better. I also liked the inclusive nature of throwing our words out there, without being able to control where they went or who they went to.

Here Is How We Produced The Video

I enlisted 6 camera operators from Grade 6, each with an iPad. With 300 students involved, we knew we’d only have one shot at filming this. To make sure I had footage I could use, I spent about 15-20 minutes with the crew to explain the shots I wanted them to get.

There are two common mistakes people make when they film. The first is holding their iPad or phone upright in the portrait view. If you’ve ever seen videos with blurred or black lines on both sides of a narrow strip of video, that’s what you get when you film in portrait mode. You want to hold your phone or iPad horizontally so that the view fills the screen of your TV or computer. I also made sure everyone had their iPad fully charged and had lots of memory, and that they were all holding them horizontally.

The second mistake people make is moving their camera around too fast as they try to capture everything. It’s impossible to make fuzzy, shaky, out of focus footage look good. So I quickly came up with a shot list and assigned different shots to different students. You can watch the footage and see if you pick up the shot list.

For instance, I wanted one camera to capture a paper plane being thrown away from the camera. I got one camera person to stand behind a friend and direct them to bring their arm back right to the camera and then watch them throw their plane. I had cameras on either end of the room so I could cut back and forth and capture everyone. I directed some camera operators to get close up shots and other students to get wide angle shots. I had two students lie down on the floor and shoot up at the ceiling with all the planes flying above them. And of course, we also tried to keep the camera operators out of the shots as much as possible.

How The Actual Moment Played Out

With our cameras in place, I quickly explained to the staff, students and family members assembled what we were about to do…then I marched up and down in front of my ‘troops’ like King Theoden or Aragorn, in Lord of the Rings, making a rousing speech in a dramatic scene before an epic battle. Then we all counted down and let the planes fly.

After throwing the planes, all the students were instructed to pick up one plane each, and open it and read the encouraging message written by someone else at their school. All the camera operators were told to move through the crowd and ask students to read what their planes said into the camera.

I’m not going to lie, this was super fun, and it worked on every level. Even the little JK and kindergarten students were able to throw a plane and scramble around on the floor to pick one up. But it was also a powerful statement for all of the students to recognize the power of our words to make a difference in someone’s life.

Producing & Sharing The Film

At the end of the assembly, we transferred all the movie clips from the iPads to my hard drive and on the weekend I put it all together. Considering I’d only spent 15 minutes describing the shot list to a handful of Grade 6 students, I was thrilled with the quality and quantity of shots that I actually had to work with.

I used iMovie to edit the clips and included the most epic music I could find as the soundtrack. On Sunday I uploaded it to YouTube and Facebook, and Monday morning sent the link to the school who sent it out to all the staff, students, and families, making it really fun and easy to watch and share. Within a couple days, there had been over seven thousand views, which also became a cool local story for the community.

You are welcome to use this idea if you are looking for a fun and creative idea that can bring your students together and help them to discover the power of their words and the ability to encourage those around them.

As you watch the video, try to count how many different camera angles you see. As I said, we only had one take to capture the magic of this moment, and we did it!

If you have done a project like this in your school, or have any questions of would like more information on how you can do this with your students, please leave a comment below. Now hold onto your seat…cause here it is!

A Valuable Filmmaking Project For Students

A Low-Cost, High-Impact Filmmaking Project For Students & Schools

A few months ago, a simple little idea snowballed into an awesome filmmaking project in school. The whole production was such a success, I wanted to share it with you and explain how we did in case you’d like to use it in your school. And of course, I’ve included the EPIC VIDEO below!

I got the idea as I was walking the down the hall and two things happened at once. As one student was handing me a little encouraging note they’d written for me, another kid threw a paper plane that smacked me in the head. I combined the two experiences, and at the end of the day went straight to the top and pitched the idea to the principal. I half expected him to say there would be health and safety regulations like all the kids would need to wear steel toe boots, hardhats and safety goggles! After giving his stamp of enthusiastic approval, the principal worked out the logistics with the teachers, so that when we gathered on Friday afternoon for our big wrap party assembly, everything was ready.

Here’s The Big Picture

Part One. Every student in the school wrote a positive and encouraging message on a piece of paper and then made a paper airplane with their message hidden inside. Everyone made one. Everyone brought one. Everyone threw one. Everyone got one. All the classes had conversations about how our words don’t always go where we intend, but they always have power. Sometimes our words encourage those around us, and sometimes they hurt.

Part Two. We filmed the entire spectacle at the assembly and used the footage to make a film that included all the students in the school.

Making the planes was a fun project for the students to work on. It was also a great opportunity to think about others and imagine words that could make someone’s day better. I also liked the inclusive nature of throwing our words out there, without being able to control where they went or who they went to.

Here Is How We Produced The Video

I enlisted 6 camera operators from Grade 6, each with an iPad. With 300 students involved, we knew we’d only have one shot at filming this. To make sure I had footage I could use, I spent about 15-20 minutes with the crew to explain the shots I wanted them to get.

There are two common mistakes people make when they film. The first is holding their iPad or phone upright in the portrait view. If you’ve ever seen videos with blurred or black lines on both sides of a narrow strip of video, that’s what you get when you film in portrait mode. You want to hold your phone or iPad horizontally so that the view fills the screen of your TV or computer. I also made sure everyone had their iPad fully charged and had lots of memory, and that they were all holding them horizontally.

The second mistake people make is moving their camera around too fast as they try to capture everything. It’s impossible to make fuzzy, shaky, out of focus footage look good. So I quickly came up with a shot list and assigned different shots to different students. You can watch the footage and see if you pick up the shot list.

For instance, I wanted one camera to capture a paper plane being thrown away from the camera. I got one camera person to stand behind a friend and direct them to bring their arm back right to the camera and then watch them throw their plane. I had cameras on either end of the room so I could cut back and forth and capture everyone. I directed some camera operators to get close up shots and other students to get wide angle shots. I had two students lie down on the floor and shoot up at the ceiling with all the planes flying above them. And of course, we also tried to keep the camera operators out of the shots as much as possible.

How The Actual Moment Played Out

With our cameras in place, I quickly explained to the staff, students and family members assembled what we were about to do…then I marched up and down in front of my ‘troops’ like King Theoden or Aragorn, in Lord of the Rings, making a rousing speech in a dramatic scene before an epic battle. Then we all counted down and let the planes fly.

After throwing the planes, all the students were instructed to pick up one plane each, and open it and read the encouraging message written by someone else at their school. All the camera operators were told to move through the crowd and ask students to read what their planes said into the camera.

I’m not going to lie, this was super fun, and it worked on every level. Even the little JK and kindergarten students were able to throw a plane and scramble around on the floor to pick one up. But it was also a powerful statement for all of the students to recognize the power of our words to make a difference in someone’s life.

Producing & Sharing The Film

At the end of the assembly, we transferred all the movie clips from the iPads to my hard drive and on the weekend I put it all together. Considering I’d only spent 15 minutes describing the shot list to a handful of Grade 6 students, I was thrilled with the quality and quantity of shots that I actually had to work with.

I used iMovie to edit the clips and included the most epic music I could find as the soundtrack. On Sunday I uploaded it to YouTube and Facebook, and Monday morning sent the link to the school who sent it out to all the staff, students, and families, making it really fun and easy to watch and share. Within a couple days, there had been over seven thousand views, which also became a cool local story for the community.

You are welcome to use this idea if you are looking for a fun and creative idea that can bring your students together and help them to discover the power of their words and the ability to encourage those around them.

As you watch the video, try to count how many different camera angles you see. As I said, we only had one take to capture the magic of this moment, and we did it!

If you have done a project like this in your school, or have any questions of would like more information on how you can do this with your students, please leave a comment below. Now hold onto your seat…cause here it is!

Students Discover The Power of Words

Film making School Project – The Art of Telling a Great Story

A few months ago, a simple little idea snowballed into an awesome film making project in school. The whole production was such a success, I wanted to share it with you and explain how we did in case you’d like to use it in your school. And of course, I’ve included the EPIC VIDEO below!

I got the idea as I was walking the down the hall and two things happened at once. As one student was handing me a little encouraging note they’d written for me, another kid threw a paper plane that smacked me in the head. I combined the two experiences, and at the end of the day went straight to the top and pitched the idea to the principal. I half expected him to say there would be health and safety regulations, like all the kids would need to wear steel toe boots, hardhats and safety goggles! After giving his stamp of enthusiastic approval, the principal worked out the logistics with the teachers, so that when we gathered on Friday afternoon for our big wrap party assembly, everything was ready.

Here’s The Big Picture

Part One. Every student in the school wrote a positive and encouraging message on a piece of paper, and then made a paper airplane with their message hidden inside. Everyone made one. Everyone brought one. Everyone threw one. Everyone got one. All the classes had conversations about how our words don’t always go where we intend, but they always have power. Sometimes our words encourage those around us, and sometimes they hurt.

Part Two. We filmed the entire spectacle at the assembly and used the footage to make a film that included all the students in the school.

Making the planes was a fun project for the students to work on. It was also a great opportunity to think about others and imagine words that could make someone’s day better. I also liked the inclusive nature of throwing our words out there, without being able to control where they went or who they went to.

Here Is How We Produced The Video

I enlisted 6 camera operators from Grade 6, each with an iPad. With 300 students involved we knew we’d only have one shot at filming this. To make sure I had footage I could use, I spent about 15-20 minutes with the crew to explain the shots I wanted them to get.

There are two common mistakes people make when they film. The first is holding their iPad or phone upright in the portrait view. If you’ve ever seen videos with blurred or black lines on both sides of a narrow strip of video, that’s what you get when you film in portrait mode. You want to hold your phone or iPad horizontally so that the view fills the screen of your TV or computer. I also made sure everyone had their iPad fully charged and had lots of memory, and that they were all holding them horizontally.

The second mistake people make is moving their camera around too fast as they try to capture everything. It’s impossible to make fuzzy, shaky, out of focus footage look good. So I quickly came up with a shot list, and assigned different shots to different students. You can watch the footage and see if you pick up the shot list.

For instance I wanted one camera to capture a paper plane being thrown away from the camera. I got one camera person to stand behind a friend and direct them to bring their arm back right to the camera and then watch them throw their plane. I had cameras on either end of the room so I could cut back and forth and capture everyone. I directed some camera operators to get close up shots and other students to get wide angle shots. I had two students lie down on the floor and shoot up at the ceiling with all the planes flying above them. And of course, we also tried to keep the camera operators out of the shots as much as possible.

How The Actual Moment Played Out

With our cameras in place, I quickly explained to the staff, students and family members assembled what we were about to do…then I marched up and down in front of my ‘troops’ like King Theoden or Aragorn, in Lord of the Rings, making a rousing speech in a dramatic scene before an epic battle. Then we all counted down and let the planes fly.

After throwing the planes, all the students were instructed to pick up one plane each, and open it and read the encouraging message written by someone else at their school. All the camera operators were told to move through the crowd and ask students to read what their planes said into the camera.

I’m not going to lie, this was super fun, and it worked on every level. Even the little JK and kindergarten students were able to throw a plane and scramble around on the floor to pick one up. But it was also a powerful statement for all of the students to recognize the power of our words to make a difference in someone’s life.

Producing & Sharing The Film

At the end of the assembly, we transferred all the movie clips from the iPads to my hard drive and on the weekend I put it all together. Considering I’d only spent 15 minutes describing the shot list to a handful of Grade 6 students, I was thrilled with the quality and quantity of shots that I actually had to work with.

I used iMovie to edit the clips and included the most epic music I could find as the soundtrack. On Sunday I uploaded it to YouTube and Facebook, and Monday morning sent the link to the school who sent it out to all the staff, students and families, making it really fun and easy to watch and share. Within a couple days there had been over seven thousand views, which also became a cool local story for the community.

You are welcome to use this idea if you are looking for a fun and creative idea that can bring your students together and help them to discover the power of their words and the ability to encourage those around them.

As you watch the video, try to count how many different camera angles you see. As I said, we only had one take to capture the magic of this moment, and we did it!

If you have done a project like this in your school, or have any questions of would like more information on how you can do this with your students, please leave a comment below. Now hold onto your seat…cause here it is!

Watch Students Discover The Power of Their Words

Film making in School And The Art of Telling a Story

A few months ago, a simple little idea snowballed into an awesome film making project in school. The whole production was such a success, I wanted to share it with you and explain how we did in case you’d like to use it in your school. And of course, I’ve included the EPIC VIDEO below!

I got the idea mid week as I was walking the down the hall during a recent artist residency. After the last class of the day, I went straight to the top, and pitched the idea to the principal.

Investing Your Life (& Life Savings) In the Adventure of a Lifetime

From YHA Bay of Islands The Rock Cruise to The Legendary Blackwater Rafting Co.

We’d only been traveling in New Zealand for an hour and we were already deeply invested in another family adventure of a lifetime. “I’m going on a mental pilgrimage now. I’ll talk to you all later,” Our 19-year-old son Zion lobbed this lofty pronouncement from the backseat, as he organized his earphones and dubstep playlist. As his parents, Zara and I have spent two decades riffing on Zion’s phraseology.

“Ah, you’re into pilgrimagery now,” I remark.

“You should put pilgrimigering on your resume,” Zara added as Cheshire grins filled the car.

Five years ago, Zara and I sold our house in Canada and invested our life savings traveling around the world for a year with Zion and our daughter Riel. It was the year we became, FOUR HOMELESS MILLIONAIRES. On that trip, we spent six weeks touring New Zealand, but never made it to Northland. We’ve come back to remedy that outrageous oversight.

The Hibiscus Coast Highway swallows us in a ‘junglee’ vibe. Zara and Riel are filming out every window trying to capture the ridiculous amount of greenery, as my gums flap in the breeze in a vain attempt to describe what I see. Northland leaves me feeling inadequate as a poet and writer…I mean, we’re not even halfway from Auckland to Whangarei and I’ve already run out of adjectives and am desperately short on superlatives.

“You know how people in movies can never run or hide from the mob or nefarious government agencies?” I say at one point, trying to describe the otherworldliness. “Seriously…you could just move anywhere on this coast and I swear no one would ever find you!” As I make this observation, I am unaware I’ll be eating these words later that night for dinner in the Bay of Islands.

We’re heading to Paihia where we’re overnighting on YHA Bay of Islands The Rock Cruise. The Rock is a floating hostel that offers a 22-hour adventure package. Personally I think management should be ashamed for their misleading online advertising. Nowhere in their promotional material did I find any mention of a ‘mind-blowing, conscious-altering life experience.’ As this best describes our time on board, it just seems a bit irresponsible is all I’m saying.

Over the 22 hours we fished, kayaked, snorkeled, ate steaks off the BBQ and tried raw ‘kina’ eggs from sea urchins. But the most spectacular, jaw-dropping experience happened under the cloak of darkness. Now I’m no scientist, but as I understand it, there is a plankton-like creature with magical Middle-earthish superhero skills that lives in the water in the Bay of Islands. It absorbs sunlight during the day and at night when the water is disturbed, glows and shimmers with an electric bioluminescence. We knelt on the deck with childlike wonder, running our fingers through the water, mesmerized by the miniature galaxies shooting out of our fingers tips. I didn’t realize I was making laser sounds until Zion elbowed me in the ribs and shushed, “Dad, two words ‘mental pilgrimagery.’ Give it a try…for all our sakes.”

At one point we jumped in a couple of tandem kayaks and paddled off into the darkest reaches of the bay. We laid back in silence under a breathtaking array of stars as the water shimmered through our fingers. With Zara in front of me, and Zion and Riel floating just a few feet away, it was easily one of the Top 3 experiences of my life, in no small part because we were experiencing it as a family. “This world is amazing,” I whispered as Riel paddled past. With exploding hand gestures on either side of her head she nodded and mouthed the words, “mind blown.”

Back at The Rock some people were night swimming. As someone swam by four feet under water, their breaststroke movement looked like they were making snow angels in outer space.

As Zara and Riel huddled with a shivering group of swimmers around the fireplace, the first mate came up to me and said, “All day I’ve been trying to figure out why the names Rik, Zara, Zion and Riel sound so familiar, and I finally figured it out. I was at your concert in Fort St John, B.C., Canada and bought your book, FOUR HOMELESS MIILIONAIRES.”

My mind reeled at the staggering odds that out of 35 people floating on a little houseboat in the Bay of Islands, one of them would have been at a concert on the other side of the world. Speechless, I mimed Riel’s actions and mouthed, “mind-blown.” That’s when I realized the movies are true…this great big world is too small to hide from the mob!

The following day we checked into YHA Bay of Islands Paihia and met Andy, the gregarious owner who exudes an infectious joie de vivre that permeates the establishment. As I commented on the energy bustling about the kitchen and patio, Andy said, “We’re social creatures. We want connection with others and at a hostel it’s easy. You don’t have to go to a bar or club, it happens while you’re cooking dinner or just hanging out having a glass of wine. Interaction is all around.” Andy perfectly summed up why our family has always loved hostels.

The next morning we joined a group kayaking from the Waitangi Bridge to Haruru Falls. We glided through Mangrove forests, past Maori Pa sites and eventually paddled our badass selves right into the falls. After paddling back and devouring a second breakfast that would have made Pippin proud, we drove down to the Waipoua Forest to walk among the gargantuan kauri trees. Standing at the base of the 2500 year old, Tāne Mahuta ‘Lord of the Forest’ I fully expected to run into the Lorax.

The next day we headed north to 90 Mile Beach and Cape Reinga. Savvy parental travelers know that stocking up on pilgramigering snacks before a road trip is a must. As I was pulling into the Countdown, I had a Kiwi-Canadian, smile-and-wave moment with a couple that were hitchhiking on the side of the road. An hour later when we stopped for gas we saw them again, standing thumbs up on the side of a different road.

A couple hours and a terabyte of photos and video later, we arrived at Cape Reinga. We were strolling down the path to the lighthouse, feeling like we were on top of the bottom of the world when we met the hitchhikers! The fact that we ran into them again, AND, that they’d beaten us to Cape Reinga turned me into a babbling brook. I told them how connected we all were in this great big world, but how the universe had revealed that none of us can hide from the mob or nefarious governments because it’s so small. Zara whispered that I was scaring the hitchhikers, but I like to think the wariness in their steely-eyed gaze meant that they found my observations incredibly deep.

On our return from Cape Reinga we stopped to rent sandboards so Zion and Riel could fly pell-mell down the giant dunes. Someone on Instagram thought we were on a Star Wars movie set. We headed to Rarawa Beach to investigate a claim that it has the whitest and squeakiest sand in NZ. Then with much fear and trepidation, we seized the opportunity to drive down 90 Mile Beach, one of the only beaches in the world that is a registered highway. Thankfully tsunami-like waves did not materialize, and I was not tumbled out to sea amid the accusatory screams of my children. Mental pilgrimagery for an imagination like mine can be quite terrifying at times.

The next day we oohed and aahed our way through more gorgeous greenery on our way to Whangarei and as we rolled into town wouldn’t you know…we passed the same hitchhikers! There are some moments this great big world feels ridiculously small.

We checked into YHA Whangarei and met Martin, the owner who immediately asked, “How much time do you have and what would you like to do while you’re here?” Within minutes, Martin’s hand drawn map had led us to a gorgeous waterfall and a secluded swimming hole with a dangling rope swing that Zion found too tempting to pass up. Riel videoed me blathering on to Zion about momentum and trajectory while Zara tried to protect her firstborn by continually interjecting that I had no idea what I was taking about.

From Whangarei to Waitomo. Even though we’ve been in New Zealand driving on the left side of the road for ten days, I still periodically turn my windshield wipers on instead of my signal lights. I don’t know if I should blame it on muscle memory or stupidity…for the most part, Kiwi drivers have saved their commentary for behind my back…and for that, I am truly thankful. In spite of my latent asininity, we’re back on the road barreling south with windshield wipers flying and visions of glowworms and blackwater rafting dancing in our heads.

Upon arrival, a rotund gentleman with what my son described as a, Gilmi-esque physique, directed us to park in a delightfully green field and showed us a secret path to the visitor centre. We joined the teeming crowds touring the Waitomo Caves, weaving our way through stalagmites as stalactites hung like gothic chandeliers in a vaulted subterranean cathedral. At the end of that tour, we popped our heads above ground just long enough to catch a shuttle bus down the road to explore the Ruakuri Caves. My only real complaint with New Zealand so far is how many times I have to mouth the words, ‘mind blown’ while making the little exploding hand gestures.

After a full day of driving and caving, we headed to YHA Waitomo where we’d booked a room. Or had we? Wires had gotten crossed, reservations had not been reserved and the hostel was fully booked. Not being a religious family, we still thanked god profusely for Stephanie, a very resourceful and extravagantly tattooed young woman who possessed razor sharp problem solving skills. She procured a tent, mattresses and sleeping bags for Zion and I, and found Zara and Riel the last two available beds in the hostel. No matter what she’s making, Stephanie deserves a raise!

We woke well rested the next morning and headed to The Legendary Blackwater Rafting Co. for a 5-hour caving adventure. It was hands down one of the best family adventure experiences we’ve had. We were abseiling, clinging to flying fox zip lines, climbing waterfalls, jumping off ledges into inky black eel infested waters and floating down an underground river on tubes. There were caves the height of cathedrals with glowworms illuminating the ceiling like constellations. And long narrow tunnels with slender clefts in the rock that allowed me ample opportunity to test the strength of my safety helmet. It was family fun at its absolute best captured in this VIDEO.

As we headed for Auckland we were all chattering and laughing in a post-adrenalin haze. Taking turns retelling our favourite moments, it was hard to believe we’d done so much in Waitomo in just 24 hours. It’s a truly spectacular area in an amazing country. If I were a local, putting up with goofy foreigners flapping their windshield wipers at every intersection would be a small price to pay for living in paradise. At least that’s what I’d tell myself.

Here is a 3 minute video that captures our MIND-BLOWING ADVENTURES IN NEW ZEALAND.

 

The post Investing Your Life (& Life Savings) In the Adventure of a Lifetime appeared first on Creative Resources That Transform Schools.

Where To Stay & What To Do Family* Travel in New Zealand

From YHA Bay of Islands The Rock Cruise to The Legendary Blackwater Rafting Co.

We’d only been traveling in New Zealand for an hour and it was already a mind-blowing family adventure. “I’m going on a mental pilgrimage now. I’ll talk to you all later,” Our 19-year-old son Zion lobbed this lofty pronouncement from the backseat, as he organized his earphones and dubstep playlist. As his parents, Zara and I have spent two decades riffing on Zion’s phraseology.

“Ah, you’re into pilgrimagery now,” I remark.

“You should put pilgrimigering on your resume,” Zara added as Cheshire grins filled the car.

Five years ago, Zara and I sold our house in Canada and invested our life savings traveling around the world for a year with Zion and our daughter Riel. It was the year we became, FOUR HOMELESS MILLIONAIRES. On that trip, we spent six weeks touring New Zealand, but never made it to Northland. We’ve come back to remedy that outrageous oversight.

The Hibiscus Coast Highway swallows us in a ‘junglee’ vibe. Zara and Riel are filming out every window trying to capture the ridiculous amount of greenery, as my gums flap in the breeze in a vain attempt to describe what I see. Northland leaves me feeling inadequate as a poet and writer…I mean, we’re not even halfway from Auckland to Whangarei and I’ve already run out of adjectives and am desperately short on superlatives.

“You know how people in movies can never run or hide from the mob or nefarious government agencies?” I say at one point, trying to describe the otherworldliness. “Seriously…you could just move anywhere on this coast and I swear no one would ever find you!” As I make this observation, I am unaware I’ll be eating these words later that night for dinner in the Bay of Islands.

We’re heading to Paihia where we’re overnighting on YHA Bay of Islands The Rock Cruise. The Rock is a floating hostel that offers a 22-hour adventure package. Personally I think management should be ashamed for their misleading online advertising. Nowhere in their promotional material did I find any mention of a ‘mind-blowing, conscious-altering life experience.’ As this best describes our time on board, it just seems a bit irresponsible is all I’m saying.

Over the 22 hours we fished, kayaked, snorkeled, ate steaks off the BBQ and tried raw ‘kina’ eggs from sea urchins. But the most spectacular, jaw-dropping experience happened under the cloak of darkness. Now I’m no scientist, but as I understand it, there is a plankton-like creature with magical Middle-earthish superhero skills that lives in the water in the Bay of Islands. It absorbs sunlight during the day and at night when the water is disturbed, glows and shimmers with an electric bioluminescence. We knelt on the deck with childlike wonder, running our fingers through the water, mesmerized by the miniature galaxies shooting out of our fingers tips. I didn’t realize I was making laser sounds until Zion elbowed me in the ribs and shushed, “Dad, two words ‘mental pilgrimagery.’ Give it a try…for all our sakes.”

At one point we jumped in a couple of tandem kayaks and paddled off into the darkest reaches of the bay. We laid back in silence under a breathtaking array of stars as the water shimmered through our fingers. With Zara in front of me, and Zion and Riel floating just a few feet away, it was easily one of the Top 3 experiences of my life, in no small part because we were experiencing it as a family. “This world is amazing,” I whispered as Riel paddled past. With exploding hand gestures on either side of her head she nodded and mouthed the words, “mind blown.”

Back at The Rock some people were night swimming. As someone swam by four feet under water, their breaststroke movement looked like they were making snow angels in outer space.

As Zara and Riel huddled with a shivering group of swimmers around the fireplace, the first mate came up to me and said, “All day I’ve been trying to figure out why the names Rik, Zara, Zion and Riel sound so familiar, and I finally figured it out. I was at your concert in Fort St John, B.C., Canada and bought your book, FOUR HOMELESS MIILIONAIRES.”

My mind reeled at the staggering odds that out of 35 people floating on a little houseboat in the Bay of Islands, one of them would have been at a concert on the other side of the world. Speechless, I mimed Riel’s actions and mouthed, “mind-blown.” That’s when I realized the movies are true…this great big world is too small to hide from the mob!

The following day we checked into YHA Bay of Islands Paihia and met Andy, the gregarious owner who exudes an infectious joie de vivre that permeates the establishment. As I commented on the energy bustling about the kitchen and patio, Andy said, “We’re social creatures. We want connection with others and at a hostel it’s easy. You don’t have to go to a bar or club, it happens while you’re cooking dinner or just hanging out having a glass of wine. Interaction is all around.” Andy perfectly summed up why our family has always loved hostels.

The next morning we joined a group kayaking from the Waitangi Bridge to Haruru Falls. We glided through Mangrove forests, past Maori Pa sites and eventually paddled our badass selves right into the falls. After paddling back and devouring a second breakfast that would have made Pippin proud, we drove down to the Waipoua Forest to walk among the gargantuan kauri trees. Standing at the base of the 2500 year old, Tāne Mahuta ‘Lord of the Forest’ I fully expected to run into the Lorax.

The next day we headed north to 90 Mile Beach and Cape Reinga. Savvy parental travelers know that stocking up on pilgramigering snacks before a road trip is a must. As I was pulling into the Countdown, I had a Kiwi-Canadian, smile-and-wave moment with a couple that were hitchhiking on the side of the road. An hour later when we stopped for gas we saw them again, standing thumbs up on the side of a different road.

A couple hours and a terabyte of photos and video later, we arrived at Cape Reinga. We were strolling down the path to the lighthouse, feeling like we were on top of the bottom of the world when we met the hitchhikers! The fact that we ran into them again, AND, that they’d beaten us to Cape Reinga turned me into a babbling brook. I told them how connected we all were in this great big world, but how the universe had revealed that none of us can hide from the mob or nefarious governments because it’s so small. Zara whispered that I was scaring the hitchhikers, but I like to think the wariness in their steely-eyed gaze meant that they found my observations incredibly deep.

On our return from Cape Reinga we stopped to rent sandboards so Zion and Riel could fly pell-mell down the giant dunes. Someone on Instagram thought we were on a Star Wars movie set. We headed to Rarawa Beach to investigate a claim that it has the whitest and squeakiest sand in NZ. Then with much fear and trepidation, we seized the opportunity to drive down 90 Mile Beach, one of the only beaches in the world that is a registered highway. Thankfully tsunami-like waves did not materialize, and I was not tumbled out to sea amid the accusatory screams of my children. Mental pilgrimagery for an imagination like mine can be quite terrifying at times.

The next day we oohed and aahed our way through more gorgeous greenery on our way to Whangarei and as we rolled into town wouldn’t you know…we passed the same hitchhikers! There are some moments this great big world feels ridiculously small.

We checked into YHA Whangarei and met Martin, the owner who immediately asked, “How much time do you have and what would you like to do while you’re here?” Within minutes, Martin’s hand drawn map had led us to a gorgeous waterfall and a secluded swimming hole with a dangling rope swing that Zion found too tempting to pass up. Riel videoed me blathering on to Zion about momentum and trajectory while Zara tried to protect her firstborn by continually interjecting that I had no idea what I was taking about.

From Whangarei to Waitomo. Even though we’ve been in New Zealand driving on the left side of the road for ten days, I still periodically turn my windshield wipers on instead of my signal lights. I don’t know if I should blame it on muscle memory or stupidity…for the most part, Kiwi drivers have saved their commentary for behind my back…and for that, I am truly thankful. In spite of my latent asininity, we’re back on the road barreling south with windshield wipers flying and visions of glowworms and blackwater rafting dancing in our heads.

Upon arrival, a rotund gentleman with what my son described as a, Gilmi-esque physique, directed us to park in a delightfully green field and showed us a secret path to the visitor centre. We joined the teeming crowds touring the Waitomo Caves, weaving our way through stalagmites as stalactites hung like gothic chandeliers in a vaulted subterranean cathedral. At the end of that tour, we popped our heads above ground just long enough to catch a shuttle bus down the road to explore the Ruakuri Caves. My only real complaint with New Zealand so far is how many times I have to mouth the words, ‘mind blown’ while making the little exploding hand gestures.

After a full day of driving and caving, we headed to YHA Waitomo where we’d booked a room. Or had we? Wires had gotten crossed, reservations had not been reserved and the hostel was fully booked. Not being a religious family, we still thanked god profusely for Stephanie, a very resourceful and extravagantly tattooed young woman who possessed razor sharp problem solving skills. She procured a tent, mattresses and sleeping bags for Zion and I, and found Zara and Riel the last two available beds in the hostel. No matter what she’s making, Stephanie deserves a raise!

We woke well rested the next morning and headed to The Legendary Blackwater Rafting Co. for a 5-hour caving adventure. It was hands down one of the best family adventure experiences we’ve had. We were abseiling, clinging to flying fox zip lines, climbing waterfalls, jumping off ledges into inky black eel infested waters and floating down an underground river on tubes. There were caves the height of cathedrals with glowworms illuminating the ceiling like constellations. And long narrow tunnels with slender clefts in the rock that allowed me ample opportunity to test the strength of my safety helmet. It was family fun at its absolute best captured in this VIDEO.

As we headed for Auckland we were all chattering and laughing in a post-adrenalin haze. Taking turns retelling our favourite moments, it was hard to believe we’d done so much in Waitomo in just 24 hours. It’s a truly spectacular area in an amazing country. If I were a local, putting up with goofy foreigners flapping their windshield wipers at every intersection would be a small price to pay for living in paradise. At least that’s what I’d tell myself.

Here is a 3 minute video that captures our MIND-BLOWING ADVENTURES IN NEW ZEALAND.

 

The post Where To Stay & What To Do Family* Travel in New Zealand appeared first on Rik Leaf * Creativity in Education.

A Mind Blowing Family Travel Adventure

Mental Pilgrimagery & Exploding Hand Gestures

We’d only been in the country for an hour and already New Zealand was a mind-blowing family adventure. “I’m going on a mental pilgrimage now. I’ll talk to you all later,” Our 19-year-old son Zion lobbed this lofty pronouncement from the backseat, as he organized his earphones and dubstep playlist. As his parents, Zara and I have spent two decades riffing on Zion’s phraseology.

“Ah, you’re into pilgrimagery now,” I remark.

“You should put pilgrimigering on your resume,” Zara added as Cheshire grins filled the car.

Five years ago, Zara and I sold our house in Canada and invested our life savings traveling around the world for a year with Zion and our daughter Riel. It was the year we became, FOUR HOMELESS MILLIONAIRES. On that trip, we spent six weeks touring New Zealand, but never made it to Northland. We’ve come back to remedy that outrageous oversight.

The Hibiscus Coast Highway swallows us in a ‘junglee’ vibe. Zara and Riel are filming out every window trying to capture the ridiculous amount of greenery, as my gums flap in the breeze in a vain attempt to describe what I see. Northland leaves me feeling inadequate as a poet and writer…I mean, we’re not even halfway from Auckland to Whangarei and I’ve already run out of adjectives and am desperately short on superlatives.

300 meters from our accommodations tonight in Whangarei #whangarei #newzealand #yha #travel #adventure #fourhomelessmillionaires

“You know how people in movies can never run or hide from the mob or nefarious government agencies?” I say at one point, trying to describe the otherworldliness. “Seriously…you could just move anywhere on this coast and I swear no one would ever find you!” As I make this observation, I am unaware I’ll be eating these words later that night for dinner in the Bay of Islands.

We’re heading to Paihia where we’re overnighting on YHA Bay of Islands The Rock Cruise. The Rock is a floating hostel that offers a 22-hour adventure package. Personally I think management should be ashamed for their misleading online advertising. Nowhere in their promotional material did I find any mention of a ‘mind-blowing, conscious-altering life experience.’ As this best describes our time on board, it just seems a bit irresponsible is all I’m saying.

Over the 22 hours we fished, kayaked, snorkeled, ate steaks off the BBQ and tried raw ‘kina’ eggs from sea urchins. But the most spectacular, jaw-dropping experience happened under the cloak of darkness. Now I’m no scientist, but as I understand it, there is a plankton-like creature with magical Middle-earthish superhero skills that lives in the water in the Bay of Islands. It absorbs sunlight during the day and at night when the water is disturbed, glows and shimmers with an electric bioluminescence. We knelt on the deck with childlike wonder, running our fingers through the water, mesmerized by the miniature galaxies shooting out of our fingers tips. I didn’t realize I was making laser sounds until Zion elbowed me in the ribs and shushed, “Dad, two words ‘mental pilgrimagery.’ Give it a try…for all our sakes.”

At one point we jumped in a couple of tandem kayaks and paddled off into the darkest reaches of the bay. We laid back in silence under a breathtaking array of stars as the water shimmered through our fingers. With Zara in front of me, and Zion and Riel floating just a few feet away, it was easily one of the Top 3 experiences of my life, in no small part because we were experiencing it as a family. “This world is amazing,” I whispered as Riel paddled past. With exploding hand gestures on either side of her head she nodded and mouthed the words, “mind blown.”

Back at The Rock some people were night swimming. As someone swam by four feet under water, their breaststroke movement looked like they were making snow angels in outer space.

As Zara and Riel huddled with a shivering group of swimmers around the fireplace, the first mate came up to me and said, “All day I’ve been trying to figure out why the names Rik, Zara, Zion and Riel sound so familiar, and I finally figured it out. I was at your concert in Fort St John, B.C., Canada and bought your book, FOUR HOMELESS MIILIONAIRES.”

The Four Homeless Millionaires and the 2cd mate aboard The Rock Adventure Cruise #fourhomelessmillionaires #rocktheboatnz #paihia #northlands #newzealand #bayofislands #yha #myyha

My mind reeled at the staggering odds that out of 35 people floating on a little houseboat in the Bay of Islands, one of them would have been at a concert on the other side of the world. Speechless, I mimed Riel’s actions and mouthed, “mind-blown.” That’s when I realized the movies are true…this great big world is too small to hide from the mob!

The following day we checked into YHA Bay of Islands Paihia and met Andy, the gregarious owner who exudes an infectious joie de vivre that permeates the establishment. As I commented on the energy bustling about the kitchen and patio, Andy said, “We’re social creatures. We want connection with others and at a hostel it’s easy. You don’t have to go to a bar or club, it happens while you’re cooking dinner or just hanging out having a glass of wine. Interaction is all around.” Andy perfectly summed up why our family has always loved hostels.

The next morning we joined a group kayaking from the Waitangi Bridge to Haruru Falls. We glided through Mangrove forests, past Maori Pa sites and eventually paddled our badass selves right into the falls. After paddling back and devouring a second breakfast that would have made Pippin proud, we drove down to the Waipoua Forest to walk among the gargantuan kauri trees. Standing at the base of the 2500 year old, Tāne Mahuta ‘Lord of the Forest’ I fully expected to run into the Lorax.

Zara & Riel & the Three Sisters #kauritree #threesisters #northland #newzealand #aotearoa #familytravel #fourhomelessmillionaires

The next day we headed north to 90 Mile Beach and Cape Reinga. Savvy parental travelers know that stocking up on pilgramigering snacks before a road trip is a must. As I was pulling into the Countdown, I had a Kiwi-Canadian, smile-and-wave moment with a couple that were hitchhiking on the side of the road. An hour later when we stopped for gas we saw them again, standing thumbs up on the side of a different road.

A couple hours and a terabyte of photos and video later, we arrived at Cape Reinga. We were strolling down the path to the lighthouse, feeling like we were on top of the bottom of the world when we met the hitchhikers! The fact that we ran into them again, AND, that they’d beaten us to Cape Reinga turned me into a babbling brook. I told them how connected we all were in this great big world, but how the universe had revealed that none of us can hide from the mob or nefarious governments because it’s so small. Zara whispered that I was scaring the hitchhikers, but I like to think the wariness in their steely-eyed gaze meant that they found my observations incredibly deep.

On our return from Cape Reinga we stopped to rent sandboards so Zion and Riel could fly pell-mell down the giant dunes. Someone on Instagram thought we were on a Star Wars movie set. We headed to Rarawa Beach to investigate a claim that it has the whitest and squeakiest sand in NZ. Then with much fear and trepidation, we seized the opportunity to drive down 90 Mile Beach, one of the only beaches in the world that is a registered highway. Thankfully tsunami-like waves did not materialize, and I was not tumbled out to sea amid the accusatory screams of my children. Mental pilgrimagery for an imagination like mine can be quite terrifying at times.

The next day we oohed and aahed our way through more gorgeous greenery on our way to Whangarei and as we rolled into town wouldn’t you know…we passed the same hitchhikers! There are some moments this great big world feels ridiculously small.

We checked into YHA Whangarei and met Martin, the owner who immediately asked, “How much time do you have and what would you like to do while you’re here?” Within minutes, Martin’s hand drawn map had led us to a gorgeous waterfall and a secluded swimming hole with a dangling rope swing that Zion found too tempting to pass up. Riel videoed me blathering on to Zion about momentum and trajectory while Zara tried to protect her firstborn by continually interjecting that I had no idea what I was taking about.

From Whangarei to Waitomo. Even though we’ve been in New Zealand driving on the left side of the road for ten days, I still periodically turn my windshield wipers on instead of my signal lights. I don’t know if I should blame it on muscle memory or stupidity…for the most part, Kiwi drivers have saved their commentary for behind my back…and for that, I am truly thankful. In spite of my latent asininity, we’re back on the road barreling south with windshield wipers flying and visions of glowworms and blackwater rafting dancing in our heads.

Upon arrival, a rotund gentleman with what my son described as a, Gilmi-esque physique, directed us to park in a delightfully green field and showed us a secret path to the visitor centre. We joined the teeming crowds touring the Waitomo Caves, weaving our way through stalagmites as stalactites hung like gothic chandeliers in a vaulted subterranean cathedral. At the end of that tour, we popped our heads above ground just long enough to catch a shuttle bus down the road to explore the Ruakuri Caves. My only real complaint with New Zealand so far is how many times I have to mouth the words, ‘mind blown’ while making the little exploding hand gestures.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

After a full day of driving and caving, we headed to YHA Waitomo where we’d booked a room. Or had we? Wires had gotten crossed, reservations had not been reserved and the hostel was fully booked. Not being a religious family, we still thanked god profusely for Stephanie, a very resourceful and extravagantly tattooed young woman who possessed razor sharp problem solving skills. She procured a tent, mattresses and sleeping bags for Zion and I, and found Zara and Riel the last two available beds in the hostel. No matter what she’s making, Stephanie deserves a raise!

We woke well rested the next morning and headed to The Legendary Blackwater Rafting Co. for a 5-hour caving adventure. It was hands down one of the best family adventure experiences we’ve had. We were abseiling, clinging to flying fox zip lines, climbing waterfalls, jumping off ledges into inky black eel infested waters and floating down an underground river on tubes. There were caves the height of cathedrals with glowworms illuminating the ceiling like constellations. And long narrow tunnels with slender clefts in the rock that allowed me ample opportunity to test the strength of my safety helmet. It was family fun at its absolute best captured in this VIDEO.

As we headed for Auckland we were all chattering and laughing in a post-adrenalin haze. Taking turns retelling our favourite moments, it was hard to believe we’d done so much in Waitomo in just 24 hours. It’s a truly spectacular area in an amazing country. If I were a local, putting up with goofy foreigners flapping their windshield wipers at every intersection would be a small price to pay for living in paradise. At least that’s what I’d tell myself.

Here is a 3 minute video that captures our MIND-BLOWING ADVENTURES IN NEW ZEALAND.

 

The post A Mind Blowing Family Travel Adventure appeared first on Rik Leaf.

New Zealand (A Mind Blowing Family Adventure)

Mental Pilgrimagery & Exploding Hand Gestures

We’d only been in the country for an hour and already New Zealand was a mind-blowing family adventure. “I’m going on a mental pilgrimage now. I’ll talk to you all later,” Our 19-year-old son Zion lobbed this lofty pronouncement from the backseat, as he organized his earphones and dubstep playlist. As his parents, Zara and I have spent two decades riffing on Zion’s phraseology.

“Ah, you’re into pilgrimagery now,” I remark.

“You should put pilgrimigering on your resume,” Zara added as Cheshire grins filled the car.

Five years ago, Zara and I sold our house in Canada and invested our life savings traveling around the world for a year with Zion and our daughter Riel. It was the year we became, FOUR HOMELESS MILLIONAIRES. On that trip, we spent six weeks touring New Zealand, but never made it to Northland. We’ve come back to remedy that outrageous oversight.

The Hibiscus Coast Highway swallows us in a ‘junglee’ vibe. Zara and Riel are filming out every window trying to capture the ridiculous amount of greenery, as my gums flap in the breeze in a vain attempt to describe what I see. Northland leaves me feeling inadequate as a poet and writer…I mean, we’re not even halfway from Auckland to Whangarei and I’ve already run out of adjectives and am desperately short on superlatives.

300 meters from our accommodations tonight in Whangarei #whangarei #newzealand #yha #travel #adventure #fourhomelessmillionaires

“You know how people in movies can never run or hide from the mob or nefarious government agencies?” I say at one point, trying to describe the otherworldliness. “Seriously…you could just move anywhere on this coast and I swear no one would ever find you!” As I make this observation, I am unaware I’ll be eating these words later that night for dinner in the Bay of Islands.

We’re heading to Paihia where we’re overnighting on YHA Bay of Islands The Rock Cruise. The Rock is a floating hostel that offers a 22-hour adventure package. Personally I think management should be ashamed for their misleading online advertising. Nowhere in their promotional material did I find any mention of a ‘mind-blowing, conscious-altering life experience.’ As this best describes our time on board, it just seems a bit irresponsible is all I’m saying.

Over the 22 hours we fished, kayaked, snorkeled, ate steaks off the BBQ and tried raw ‘kina’ eggs from sea urchins. But the most spectacular, jaw-dropping experience happened under the cloak of darkness. Now I’m no scientist, but as I understand it, there is a plankton-like creature with magical Middle-earthish superhero skills that lives in the water in the Bay of Islands. It absorbs sunlight during the day and at night when the water is disturbed, glows and shimmers with an electric bioluminescence. We knelt on the deck with childlike wonder, running our fingers through the water, mesmerized by the miniature galaxies shooting out of our fingers tips. I didn’t realize I was making laser sounds until Zion elbowed me in the ribs and shushed, “Dad, two words ‘mental pilgrimagery.’ Give it a try…for all our sakes.”

At one point we jumped in a couple of tandem kayaks and paddled off into the darkest reaches of the bay. We laid back in silence under a breathtaking array of stars as the water shimmered through our fingers. With Zara in front of me, and Zion and Riel floating just a few feet away, it was easily one of the Top 3 experiences of my life, in no small part because we were experiencing it as a family. “This world is amazing,” I whispered as Riel paddled past. With exploding hand gestures on either side of her head she nodded and mouthed the words, “mind blown.”

Back at The Rock some people were night swimming. As someone swam by four feet under water, their breaststroke movement looked like they were making snow angels in outer space.

As Zara and Riel huddled with a shivering group of swimmers around the fireplace, the first mate came up to me and said, “All day I’ve been trying to figure out why the names Rik, Zara, Zion and Riel sound so familiar, and I finally figured it out. I was at your concert in Fort St John, B.C., Canada and bought your book, FOUR HOMELESS MIILIONAIRES.”

The Four Homeless Millionaires and the 2cd mate aboard The Rock Adventure Cruise #fourhomelessmillionaires #rocktheboatnz #paihia #northlands #newzealand #bayofislands #yha #myyha

My mind reeled at the staggering odds that out of 35 people floating on a little houseboat in the Bay of Islands, one of them would have been at a concert on the other side of the world. Speechless, I mimed Riel’s actions and mouthed, “mind-blown.” That’s when I realized the movies are true…this great big world is too small to hide from the mob!

The following day we checked into YHA Bay of Islands Paihia and met Andy, the gregarious owner who exudes an infectious joie de vivre that permeates the establishment. As I commented on the energy bustling about the kitchen and patio, Andy said, “We’re social creatures. We want connection with others and at a hostel it’s easy. You don’t have to go to a bar or club, it happens while you’re cooking dinner or just hanging out having a glass of wine. Interaction is all around.” Andy perfectly summed up why our family has always loved hostels.

The next morning we joined a group kayaking from the Waitangi Bridge to Haruru Falls. We glided through Mangrove forests, past Maori Pa sites and eventually paddled our badass selves right into the falls. After paddling back and devouring a second breakfast that would have made Pippin proud, we drove down to the Waipoua Forest to walk among the gargantuan kauri trees. Standing at the base of the 2500 year old, Tāne Mahuta ‘Lord of the Forest’ I fully expected to run into the Lorax.

Zara & Riel & the Three Sisters #kauritree #threesisters #northland #newzealand #aotearoa #familytravel #fourhomelessmillionaires

The next day we headed north to 90 Mile Beach and Cape Reinga. Savvy parental travelers know that stocking up on pilgramigering snacks before a road trip is a must. As I was pulling into the Countdown, I had a Kiwi-Canadian, smile-and-wave moment with a couple that were hitchhiking on the side of the road. An hour later when we stopped for gas we saw them again, standing thumbs up on the side of a different road.

A couple hours and a terabyte of photos and video later, we arrived at Cape Reinga. We were strolling down the path to the lighthouse, feeling like we were on top of the bottom of the world when we met the hitchhikers! The fact that we ran into them again, AND, that they’d beaten us to Cape Reinga turned me into a babbling brook. I told them how connected we all were in this great big world, but how the universe had revealed that none of us can hide from the mob or nefarious governments because it’s so small. Zara whispered that I was scaring the hitchhikers, but I like to think the wariness in their steely-eyed gaze meant that they found my observations incredibly deep.

On our return from Cape Reinga we stopped to rent sandboards so Zion and Riel could fly pell-mell down the giant dunes. Someone on Instagram thought we were on a Star Wars movie set. We headed to Rarawa Beach to investigate a claim that it has the whitest and squeakiest sand in NZ. Then with much fear and trepidation, we seized the opportunity to drive down 90 Mile Beach, one of the only beaches in the world that is a registered highway. Thankfully tsunami-like waves did not materialize, and I was not tumbled out to sea amid the accusatory screams of my children. Mental pilgrimagery for an imagination like mine can be quite terrifying at times.

The next day we oohed and aahed our way through more gorgeous greenery on our way to Whangarei and as we rolled into town wouldn’t you know…we passed the same hitchhikers! There are some moments this great big world feels ridiculously small.

We checked into YHA Whangarei and met Martin, the owner who immediately asked, “How much time do you have and what would you like to do while you’re here?” Within minutes, Martin’s hand drawn map had led us to a gorgeous waterfall and a secluded swimming hole with a dangling rope swing that Zion found too tempting to pass up. Riel videoed me blathering on to Zion about momentum and trajectory while Zara tried to protect her firstborn by continually interjecting that I had no idea what I was taking about.

From Whangarei to Waitomo. Even though we’ve been in New Zealand driving on the left side of the road for ten days, I still periodically turn my windshield wipers on instead of my signal lights. I don’t know if I should blame it on muscle memory or stupidity…for the most part, Kiwi drivers have saved their commentary for behind my back…and for that, I am truly thankful. In spite of my latent asininity, we’re back on the road barreling south with windshield wipers flying and visions of glowworms and blackwater rafting dancing in our heads.

Upon arrival, a rotund gentleman with what my son described as a, Gilmi-esque physique, directed us to park in a delightfully green field and showed us a secret path to the visitor centre. We joined the teeming crowds touring the Waitomo Caves, weaving our way through stalagmites as stalactites hung like gothic chandeliers in a vaulted subterranean cathedral. At the end of that tour, we popped our heads above ground just long enough to catch a shuttle bus down the road to explore the Ruakuri Caves. My only real complaint with New Zealand so far is how many times I have to mouth the words, ‘mind blown’ while making the little exploding hand gestures.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

After a full day of driving and caving, we headed to YHA Waitomo where we’d booked a room. Or had we? Wires had gotten crossed, reservations had not been reserved and the hostel was fully booked. Not being a religious family, we still thanked god profusely for Stephanie, a very resourceful and extravagantly tattooed young woman who possessed razor sharp problem solving skills. She procured a tent, mattresses and sleeping bags for Zion and I, and found Zara and Riel the last two available beds in the hostel. No matter what she’s making, Stephanie deserves a raise!

We woke well rested the next morning and headed to The Legendary Blackwater Rafting Co. for a 5-hour caving adventure. It was hands down one of the best family adventure experiences we’ve had. We were abseiling, clinging to flying fox zip lines, climbing waterfalls, jumping off ledges into inky black eel infested waters and floating down an underground river on tubes. There were caves the height of cathedrals with glowworms illuminating the ceiling like constellations. And long narrow tunnels with slender clefts in the rock that allowed me ample opportunity to test the strength of my safety helmet. It was family fun at its absolute best captured in this VIDEO.

As we headed for Auckland we were all chattering and laughing in a post-adrenalin haze. Taking turns retelling our favourite moments, it was hard to believe we’d done so much in Waitomo in just 24 hours. It’s a truly spectacular area in an amazing country. If I were a local, putting up with goofy foreigners flapping their windshield wipers at every intersection would be a small price to pay for living in paradise. At least that’s what I’d tell myself.

Here is a 3 minute video that captures our MIND-BLOWING ADVENTURES IN NEW ZEALAND.

 

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