Waka Tapu reaches Rapa Nui

104 days after departing from New Zealand, 2 traditional Polynesian canoes and their 20 Maori crew arrived at Rapa Nui, over 10,000 miles away, in late November 2012.  Having navigated across the world's largest ocean entirely by the stars, sun, moon and ocean currents, and only stopping at Tubuai and Mangareva in French Polynesia on the way, they successfully recreated one of the possible routes taken by the Polynesians who colonised Easter Island over 10 centuries ago.  Not only was it an incredible feat by the crew, it was also an important and highly symbolic joining of two of the extremities of the Polynesian triangle.

Waiting for spare parts from mainland Chile kept the crew here on the island for almost a month, and they became well-known members of the island community.  They set sail for the return leg to Tahiti on Boxing Day, from where they'll fly back to New Zealand sometime in February.  Congratulations to the entire crew.

Petero Edmunds returns as Mayor

After a month of heavy campaigning by the 5 candidates for Mayor, including the incumbent Luz Zasso Paoa, municipal elections on Sunday confirmed the return to office of Petero Edmunds Paoa, who had previously held the position from 1996 - 2008.  A total of almost 2,200 voted, with Petero obtaining 937 votes (42.7%), and Luz coming second with 27.4%.

Petero currently represents Chile's Partido Progresista, having represented the Partido Demócrata Cristiano during his previous tenure as Mayor.  He also served as the island's Governor between March and August 2010 before resigning in one of the most unstable periods in the island's recent history.

Petero will be assisted by 6 Councillors (all Rapanui): Carlos Riroroko, Marta Hotus, Pedro Tepano, Yolanda Nahoe, Alberto Hotus and Mai Teao.

Congratulations to all 7, and we wish them every success for the island's healthy growth over the next 4 years.

Ature Huki gets a facelift

Fifty-six years after its restoration by a group of islanders under the leadership of then-mayor Pedro Atan during Thor Heyerdahl's expedition to the island, the solitary moai at Anakena, Ature Huki, has recently had all of the lichen removed from its body.  In a combined effort by CONAF and a team of experts from Italy, the moai spent 2 months under wraps during the winter while the lichen was carefully removed from its surface. 

 

April 2012

  

August 2012



It is thought to be the first of many such projects for the moai, as CONAF look for the best way to preserve the moai from the harsh conditions here on Rapa Nui.



Vernal (Spring) Equinox at Ahu Akivi

The spring equinox took place here on the island at 09.49am local time on Saturday 22nd September, giving people the chance to confirm the alignments of certain moai and platforms that have long been taught.  Like most people, I had been repeating for many years the long held belief that the moai at Ahu Akivi were lined up directly with the position of the sunrise and sunset on either of the equinoxes, a fact that archaeologist/constellation expert Edmundo Edwards has long doubted.  Yesterday's sunset would appear to confirm that the alignment is close - but not exact, with exact alignment apparently taking place in a week's time.

However, much more interestingly, Edwards also stated that the moai are actually aligned to the position of the rising and setting of the Orion constellation at the equinoxes, a phenomenon that we went to test on the night of the 21st.  Aside from being one of the island's most evocative platforms anyway, on an especially clear night we were privileged to witness a truly remarkable spectacle:

   

This photo was taken at about 2.30am, and Orion's belt is just starting to appear directly behind the middle moai, with Orion's 'sword' visible over the moai's left shoulder:

The return of the alien theories

With the airing this week of the BBC series 'Wild Pacific' in the US (previously released as 'South Pacific' in the UK), questions regarding the role of aliens in the creation of the moai reappeared in various media sources, including headlines such as 'Aliens visited Easter Island':

Aside from being so fanciful that they don't even warrant discussion, these theories are also hugely disrespectful to all of the scientific study of the past century, and even more so to the original Rapanui who carved and transported all of the statues.  While Erich von Daniken's book 'Return to the Stars' (1972) was seemingly the starting point for these theories, and the first to suggest that the islanders didn't possess the tools or the knowledge to carve the moai, it seems incredible that 40 years later these theories are still in existence, and are periodically aired on slow news days.

And while Joanne van Tilberg's recent excavations inside the crater at Rano Raraku should have been highlighted for the new archaeological information that they unearthed, most newspapers went with a completely different story: namely that this was the first proof that the 'heads' actually had bodies:

The fact that they used a photo taken in 1986 to announce this 'breakthrough' only confirms the total lack of interest by most journalists to research these stories thoroughly.  It is ironic that 2012 has been the year in which Easter Island has featured more than ever in the mainstream media, including the cover of National Geographic for the first time, and yet the quality of the reporting has been some of the very worst.

2012 - A bad year for yachts

While visiting yachts are still an unusual sight on Easter Island, there has been a steady increase over the years in the number of people choosing to visit the island in this way.  Taking at least 3 weeks to sail here from any other port, and few safe anchorages once you arrive, it's easy to see why so few people elect to cross the Pacific via this route.

However, 2012 has not only seen an increase in yacht traffic, but also the first 2 serious yacht accidents in recent history: firstly the unfortunate case in March of 'La Rose' which crashed onto the rocks approaching Hanga Piko in heavy swells, and in July the German-owned yacht 'Gen Oster', which was blown onto the rocks at Anakena.  'La Rose' was unsalvageable, and currently lies under a tarpaulin at Hanga Piko, awaiting scrapping.  'Gen Oster' is in the process of being repaired, but is not due to be seaworthy again until at least February, giving her owners an unexpected six-month stay on the island.

Photo courtesy of Christophe Conry

The disappearance of Ovahe

Much to the sadness of everyone here, an unusually strong winter storm removed most of the sand from the island's 2nd beach, Ovahe.  Local opinion is that the sand will eventually be returned by the currents, but this certainly won't be happening anytime soon.  That said, it's not the first time that the sea has changed the appearance of Ovahe - I'm reliably informed that during the 80's Ovahe was just one bay, before the ocean removed a considerable amount of sand and the left the dividing rocks exposed.

 



July 2012

   



September 2012

Ovahe always used to be a much quieter, hidden option to Anakena, and will be greatly missed as an alternative to its larger neighbour.

Added to the lack of sand is the marked increase of flotsam and maritime junk...a worldwide issue that not even isolated islands are free from.  Previous initiatives by local groups and the Explora hotel have always kept the issue relatively under control, but with no-one now visiting Ovahe, the build-up has got to previously unseen levels:



8th Easter Island Conference

The 8th Easter Island and Pacific Conference took place in Santa Rosa, California in July 2012, offering academics and Rapanui-philes from all over the world the chance to gather and listen to 3 days of papers and presentations by some of the world's leading authorities on Easter Island and the Pacific region.



A wonderful opportunity to learn more about this fascinating multifaceted island, the conference also included papers by 2 of the island's own students, Merahi Lopez Atan and Cristian Moreno Pakarati.  It was also an excellent chance to catch up and discuss the island with old friends who visit the island far too seldom:

The 9th Easter island Conference is due to take place in Berlin, Germany in July 2015.  More information will soon be available from: www.9th-eip-conference.org