
In honour of all who have played their part
It is several hours before we awake fully and although somewhat lost in time and space, we head off for a walk to meet our first Moai. Perched upon stone platforms, known as an Ahu, they stand with backs to the ocean, gazing inland – some alone while others are grouped. The Ahu are sacred to the Rapa Nui who believe they hold the Mana of their ancestors and it is prohibited to step upon them.
In total there are a staggering eight-hundred and eighty-seven Moai spread right around the island. Most stand (or lie where they have fallen) near the shoreline but many are still located within the original quarry at the extinct volcano of Rano Raraku.