Easter Island - A 5 day driving tour - 4th Instalment

The West Coast Loop
Day Four
Today we decided to do a loop of the West coast that took in some caves, Ahu and the topknot quarry.
First stop of the day, Ahu Huri A Urenga, one of 25 inland platforms.

Ahu Huri A Urenga

This Moai is interesting as it has 2 pairs of hands and an astronomical orientation (the statue faces the exact direction of the rising sun at the winter solstice - June 21st).

Aligned to the winter solstice

Near Ahu huri A Urenga is the topknot quarry called Puna Pau. The quarry is a small volcanic crater made up of red scoria stone.

Topknots awaiting transportation

Topknots are finished at the platform, so all the topknots in the quarry are cylindrical.

The next topknot was modified by a resourceful shepherd who wanted shelter from the wind.

Just like the Moai, the topknots were carved while still attached to the bedrock.

The crater at Puna Pau

The view from Puna Pau - looking towards Hanga Roa

The view from Puna Pau - looking inland

Next stop another inland platform called Ahu Akivi or the 'seven Moai'.

Ahu Akivi - Front view

Ahu Akivi - Rear View

 The volcanic legacy of the island is a number of former lava tubes, many of which have been inhabited in the past. The first lava tube of the loop was Ana Te Pahu. Ana Te Pahu stretches for over 1 km in length and is often referred to as the 'Banana Cave' as there are many banana trees that have recently been planted in the cave opening.

The pile of stones are a bed! They did cover the stones with dry grass and feathers.

Walls were built inside the caves and acted as windbreaks

At the entrance of the cave plants and trees were grown.

Banana Trees

Next stop was another platform (Ahu Te Peu), this one was unrestored and on the coast. The site shows evidence of habitation and the remains of the largest boat house found (40 m long).

Foundations of a boat house. You can see the post holes that have been carved into the blocks.

Head of a toppled Moai

Another Moai head.

Even though the Moai were destroyed the platform was left intact. The stonework is similar to that of the Inca.

Travelling South, towards Hanga Roa, along the West coast brought us to Ana Te Pora another cave. This one as open to the elements.

Hat!

r

Continuing South we arrived at another lava tube, this one was different as it had two lava flows through the cliffs and is also known as the 'Two Windows' cave. A bit of a squeeze but well worth it. Below are the views from one of the windows.

Looking into the lava tube from the second window.

The walls and ceiling are formed from low-viscosity lava that formed a hard crust on cooling.

Just as we pulled up at the last site of the day - Te Pu Haka Nini Te Mako'i it started to rain. We waited in the car but the rain was in for the long hall so it was time to head back to the tent and await the sunset. Here are a number of the photos we took at sunset.

Looking East

Looking South

Looking North

The surf is up!

The waves come rolling in!

Looking East again.

Don't forget to check out the final instalment.

Easter Island - A 5 day driving tour - 3rd Instalment

Hola
Day Three
We decided to get up early and see the sunset at Tongariki.

The white dot on the left hand side is the planet Venus

Ahu Tongariki at sunrise

The travelling moai at 8 am

After sunrise we travelled towards the North coast. The landscape was interesting, we could see the volcanic nature of the island and some wonderful vistas.

The view west towards the hill known as Maunga Anamarama

As we travelled westward along the North coast we saw some interesting sites. The first sire we visited was Pu O Hiro. Pu O Hiro is the site of the trumpet of Hiro (a rain god).

Trumpet stone

On its surface there are a series of small fertility petroglyphs...

and natural holes...

Blowing into the small hole at the top makes a sound like a trumpet and encourages fish to swim towards the shore... or so they say!

The next stop was Papa Vaka, a petroglyph site. Here are a selection of the petroglyphs.

Tuna and shark

Octopus

The largest petroglyph on the island - a 12 m canoe

Along this coast there is much evidence of human habitation and more platforms.

The cairns are known as Pipi Horeko and are like the cairns used in the Lake District and Scotland (markers)

More Pipi Horekos

Hen house

An empty platform

The next stop was to see Ahu Te Pito Kura and Te Pito O Te Henua. The Moai at Ahu Te Pito Kura is the largest Moai ever to have been stood on a platform (10 m in length and >100 tonnes in weight). This Moai is the last to have been seen upright by an European (the French explorer Abel Du Petit-Thouars in 1838).

Ahu Te Pito Kura

Also at this site is the so called Navel of the World stone.

The large stone in the centre is the Navel of the World Stone

No one knows why the stone has been placed here but there is a legend that suggest the stone was brought with the first Polynesians that colonised the island. This can't be the case as the stone is the samee as many others found on the beach below the Ahu.

Next stop - the beach at Ovahe.

Ovahe beach

I saw 3 ships come sailing by...

Interesting patterns in the sand...

and on the rockface

Next we visited Anakena the main beach on the island and the site of Ahu Nau Nau. This beach is believed to be the landing site of the first Polynesian colonisers.

Anakena beach

Ahu Nau Nau - Front view

Ahu nau Nau - Back view. Notice how the head of an older Moai has been used in the platform.

Ahu Nau Nau - Side view

The sand has preserved these Moai and so the fine detail has been preserved.

There are other platforms at the site. This next one is a platform with a single Moai.

Ahu Ature Huki - the first Moai to be re-erected

After visiting Anakena we returned to the campsite via Vaitea (the central prairies of the island). We were surprised at how much the landscape was like Britain. What do you think?

Scotland?

Trough of Bowland?

After our early start we were happy to sit back and watch the sunset...

Sunset at Ahu Riata

Don't forget to check out the 4th instalment in a few days time.