Rapa Nui - Pacific Ocean
Rapa Nui Island In the middle of the Pacific Ocean lies the island of Rapa Nui – better known in the West as Easter Island. Rapa Nui has a remarkable collection of giant stone statues called “Moai” - which are found nowhere else on earth - one of the key reasons for it's UNESCO status . For anyone interested in archaeology, geology or photography this place is spectacular. You can pick up a connecting flight from Tahiti, Chile or Peru – and there are currently about 10 arriving on the island. Moai Statues The Moai statues have always created controversy and debate. It’s unclear to westerners what they signify and how these giant pieces moved across the island. Genetic research has established that the carvings were created by Polynesians, but it is still unclear how these enormous pieces were moved to their current site – some of them weigh up to 80 tons! The stone would have been quarried on the island, but the final product was moved to the coastline (wit