We had hired a car the night before to do a tour of the island, and so got up early that morning to go to the opposite side of the island to see sunrise. There was a spot of several moai called Ahu Tonariki that was directly on the Eastern coast which we had been told was incredible. We got there just before all the big bus tour companies arrived, and so got a great spot directly in front of the line of moai. We stayed there to watch the sunrise, it was incredible.

After that we went to Rano Raraku, the quarry where all the moai had been made from and carved, which has the biggest display of moai in the whole island, many of which are just lying on the ground as they never made it to where they were going (they don't know if they were just abandoned when people gave up on moai ancestors, or had been damaged somehow on the way down and so were no longer sacred). They carved them lying down face up in the volcanic rock, mainly tuff, a soft rock of volcanic ash, then a keel was made at the bottom to slide them down. No one knows how they were moved from the quarries given how big they were (3-20 tonnes), although there are lots of theories, but they think they were erected with ropes and poles.

The quarry was really interesting as it had so many moai and so much to learn, and also had all the biggest moai on the island (they got bigger in later years so the newest are the largest) including one still in the stone that was 10 metres tall.

We then walked over to the crater, of the second of the islands three extinct volcanoes which form it's triangular shape, which had a large crater filled with a freshwater lagoon.

After this we drove right to the top of the island as far as the road goes, passing on the way some more petroglyphs of fish carved in rocks and more moai. We drove to Anakena, the beach on which they think the first Polynesian people who lived here arrived in c. 700AD in boats. It was a lovely beach and the moai there were really well preserved, as they had fallen into sand and therefore been protected from the elements. You could see lots of carvings and the detail on their faces and backs, more than any of the moai. They also mainly all had their topknots still.

The moai had originally been made to represent mainly male ancestors and were erected on ahu to watch over their villages - looking towards the village, not the sea. After Europeans came in 17th century onwards the rapanui people started knocking them down. They don't now know why - they think that either they had fights between the tribes and knocked each others' down, or they lost faith. Either way all the ones now standing have been erected again, apart from the quarry ones abandoned upright in the grounds whilst being carved.

We had the world's most expensive Nutella crepes in anakena, then spent the afternoon driving all the way along the coastal road to see more moai. Most were still lying where they been knocked, but some 40 or so are upright I think. It was amazing. They also had some walls that looked like inca type walls and a rare female moai, although too faded to tell much, further down the island. The only thing we couldn't see were the caves with some markings and petroglyphs - they were closed for work, although Rob and I at pretty bad at telling what the drawings are anyway, they're quite faint!

We finished off by going up towards the last full set of moai near the biggest volcano on the island, which was as far as the road went up it. They are the only set that appear to look at the sea - the village used to be in front of them.

We were absolutely worn out by the end, so after returning the car walked home via a well earned pizza restaurant! It was a fascinating day.