Easter Island Road Trip: Getting the scooter
So far so good, the July weather on Easter Island is great and sunny. At least during day time.
After preparing our lunch box, we left at 10am to walk to town where there are many scooter renting shops. You can also rent a car, quad, motorbike… Up to you but for us the scooter is the best mean of transportation.
As our accommodation was out of town, the way to the town was incredible. So, our day started by going through “Ahu Tahai” “Ahu ko Te Riku”.
We checked a few shops and they had pretty much all the same condition, 25 000cu for 24h. So just pick the shop based on the scooter you like (different places can have different type of scooter). The only think they required is a valid driving license. We didn’t have our passport and they accepted it. We then signed a small contract and were on our way.
As soon as we left, we saw a place where some small buses stopped, let’s check it out. It was a small site with one Moai. It is really at this time that we started realizing that there are Moais everywhere on the island.
The particularity of this one is two pairs of hands. It is a mystery why and up to nnow there are only guesses about the origin of those hands. It could have been carved twice due to the wearing of its base on the way from Rano Raraku or it could represent the deformity of someone that locals wanted to remember.
At the entrance there is also a small dwell used to reflect the start and therefor be an astronomical observatory.
vaihu (10min)
We kept following the road until we found Waihu “Ahu hanga Te’s” or as we personnaly called it the fallen Moais. On this site there are 8 Moais but all of them are now lying on the ground face down. Can you see them on the pictures ?
In front of them there is a large ceremonial platform called “paina” with a 10m diameter where commemorative rituals were performed in the past.
A bit further, there is a settlement. with remaining and restored houses and farming area.
akahanga (10min)
Next “Akahanga”, the remains of an old village near a bay and a small cave. But the most impressive is again fallen Moais. Here a total of 13 statue are down with a height between 5 and 7 meters.
According to oral traditions, this place is also supposed to be the tomb of the first king of the island.
rano raraku (1h)
To reach “Rano Raraku” the site where the Moai were build, you need to take a left turn. You can’t miss it as you can see the Rano Raraku volcano from far away.
This site is one of the highlights of the day and an incredible archeological place as here the Moai were made and then transport to their own site. It is made of two parts. The quarry on the right side and the volcano crater on the left.
This site was chosen due to its composition. It is made of Lapilli tuff, a porous rock formed by accumulation of volcanic ash (ejected from the volcano during an eruption). Which when cooled in the atmosphere become compact and hard.
This quarry apparently gave birth to almost all the statue on the island (around 1000 of them). Nowadays statues with all sizes remain in the quarry. Some are not even finished and are still a part of the volcano. Some of them are finished but half buried.
It is also there that the Tukuturi Moai is located. The only kneeling Moai of the island, the only one with a more human-like form and 3.7m height. He is also the only Moai in the quarry looking toward the volcano.
We recommend starting on the right side and on your way out, go straight to reach the crater which is just 10min further. There the crater became a small lake where flora grew up and is now a reserve. On its flank, more half buried Moai are located but you can’t get near them as the area is closed.
Before entering the site around 1pm we made our lunch break. The area is beautiful, there are benches and toilets.
ahu tongariki (20min)
Back on the main road, “Ahu Tongariki” the 15 Moais site. It is the largest site and ceremonial center of the island. There is no other place with that many statues.
All Moais are oriented toward sunrise and are place on an “ahu” of over 200m long. This site like others was devastated in 1960 by a Tsunami and later on restored.
The variety in the shapes, sizes and featured of the Moai are incredible here. Thick, thin, tall, short… They size between 5 and 14m. Originally all the statue had a “Pukao”, a hat. But only one was put back after the disaster.
Going a bit further in the area of Ahu Tongariki, other statues can be found on the floor. It is believed that a total of 30 statue were making this site. As well as carved stones
The statue that welcome you at the entrance is called the traveling Moai because it was part of an Exhibition is Osaka (Japan)
papa vaka (10min) & ahu te pito kura (10min)
“Papa Vaka” is a site where carved stoned (petroglyphs) can be found. Different stones present different types of carving. fish, octopus, squid, crab… Try to find them!
“Ahu Te Pito Kura” is an archeological complex with ruins and the Paro Moai. There is also present the magnetic stone, an 80cm diameter round stone that supposedly had supernatural energy “mana”
anakena (20min)
“Anakena” a paradise beach lost in a volcanic island. This site presents a white sand beach where you will find many locals and tourist sunbathing and enjoying the sea. Restaurant and shops are also located there as well as toilet.
Ahu Ature Huki a lone Moai and Ahu Nau Nau a group of 7 Moai stand near the beach.
This was most probably the most crowded place we saw on the island.
puna pau (15min)
On the way back to town and our accommodation we made one last stop as it is a small detour. On your way back across the island take the right turn that leads to “Puna Pau”. A site where the hat (Pukao) on the Moai were made.
The site takes its name from the Puna Pau Volcano and is a quarry of red scoria, a red stone soft and easy to carve before behind send to the Moai and place on their head.
end of the road trip
And finally, we were back home for 6pm. What an incredible day. Later on around 6:45pm it started to get really cloudy and dark before rain starts. It was more a small storm during all night.
The ride itself is amazing. As you go through many landscapes, mountains, seasides, forests. As well you will encounter many hordes of cow and horse along the way as they are free and going around. So watch on when you are on the scooter.
what to bring
Be careful it is really windy on the island, we would recommend to always bring a sweater.
Also remember to always bring some cash with you in case you want to use the toilet. As there are private it cost 500cu. You can find toilet in Rano Rakura and Anakena (the beach)
And as always, packed lunch, water, sunglass and suncream.
“Stuff your eyes with wonder, live as if you’d drop dead in ten seconds. See the world. It’s more fantastic than any dream made or paid for in factories.” – Ray Bradbury
