Search Results for: Southwest Coast Path

Rapa Nui (aka Easter Island) Archeological walks

February 16, 2019

Easter Island, or Rapa Nui in the native language of the Polynesian people that first settled there, is one of the most remote inhabited islands in the world. (Tristan da Cunha in the southern Atlantic Ocean also lays claim to this title, depending on how one considers the year-round Antarctic base several hundred miles away). It is also not cheap to fly as LATAM airways is the only airline flying the nearly 2500 miles from Santiago (Rapa Nui is legally part of Chile) with between one and three flights per day depending on the season and day of the week. While providing the locals with much-needed income, the limited number of flights has the benefit of keeping the island from being over-run with tourists and their concomitant infrastructure that could easily ruin the whole experience.

Its compact size, interesting topography, and good road access to much of the island make Rapa Nui an ideal place to enjoy nature as well as the archeological remains from the Polynesians. Essential to planning your visit and appreciating the sites is A Companion To Easter Island (Guide To Rapa Nui) by James Grant Peterkin. We spent five night in a small AirBnB cabaña where we were able to rent a small 4×4. While we saw all the main sites, there were several more hikes to do had we more time – and had my gout not flared up!

Pastoral view from the Te Ara O Te Ao trail near its trailhead just west of the airport at *Matarevi*

*Hanga Roa* from the *Te Ara O Te Ao* trail. *Hanga Roa* is the only town on the island and where virtually all visitors stay. The runway is also visible in this photo.

*Rano Kau* crater and wetland. This is the only wetland on *Rapa Nu*i and contains many endemic species.

Three islets off the southwest coast of *Rapa Nui*. The *Tangata manu*, or bird-man, was the winner of the competition to collect the first sooty tern egg of the season from *Moto Nui* (the largest islet shown here), swim back and climb the sea cliff to the village of *Orong*o.

*Rapa Nui* coastline near *Ana Kai Tangata* caves

Bird-man pictographs, *Ana Kai Tangata*.

*Hanga Roa* coastal view of the pebble beach and some restaurants and shops. Everything was expensive on the island, but the local seafood was excellent.

Petroglyphs at *Papa Vaca* (literally “stone canoe.”) Images at this site include fish hooks, tuna, canoes, turtles, and even one shark.

*Rano Raraku* quarry. If you visit one site on Easter, *Rano Raraku* with its over 400 *Moai* at various stages of production should be it. While you can walk the paths in less than an hour, plan on spending a morning here.

*Moai* in profile at *Rano Raraku.* Nearly all of the almost 900 known *Moai* were carved from tuff, compressed volcanic ash.

*Tongariki Moai* and platform (*ahu*) from behind. This is the best example of the skill involved in constructing *ahu* for the *Moai*. Like all *Moai*, these had been toppled over during the civil wars on *Rapa Nui* and only recently restored.

The fifteen *Moai* at *Tongariki*. Note the top knot on the 2nd from the right *Moai.* Several others had similar red scoria (basaltic) head gear, but they have since been destroyed.

The “traveling” *Moai* at *Tongariki*. It was loaned to Japan for the 1970 World’s Fair and returned. In contrast, the British Museum, despite tearful entreaties from the Rapa Nui, has held the Hoa Hakananai’a for 150 years.

*Rano Raraku* quarry site seen from *Tongariki*.

*Anakana* platform (*ahu*) and *Moai,* many showing top knots. *Anakana* is one of only two white sand beaches on the island, popular with locals on the weekend.

*Moai* on its back at *Akahanga*. Very unusual since during the civil wars most *Moai* were toppled onto their faces to destroy their power.

Several top knots at *Vaihu*. Once thought to be hats, they more likely represent the hair style of the time. Only some of the later *Moai* were adorned with these massive basaltic sculptures.

And one final image to leave you with. . .

*Tongariki* and the rugged east coast of *Rapa Nui* from *Rano Raraku*

Right now I am relaxing on my balcony overlooking the Pacific Ocean just north of Viña del Mar in Chile, planning my travels through the summer and will shortly update my calendar accordingly. My next blog post, in a couple of weeks, will be a smorgasbord of different hikes and walks I did on mainland Chile this past month. In the mean time, enjoy the outdoors where ever you happen to be.

The Vagabond Hiker

Walking Lanzarote in the Canary Islands

December 4, 2018

Certainly there are worse places to spend the month of November than Lanzarote in Spain’s Islas Canarias. Located about 80 miles off the Coast of Morocco, it is to a large extent defined by the series of volcanic eruptions in the 1730’s. Admittedly, my main purpose of renting an AirBnB apartment overlooking the Atlantic in Puerto del Carmen was to enjoy the (relatively) warm ocean. Nonetheless, I managed several interesting hikes/walks that encompassed some of the most interesting landscapes on the island. Check out the photos below. . .

An Old Town harbor garden in *Pueto del Carmen*, near the beginning of my local coast walk.

Looking towards *Puerto del Carmen* from the coast path. I did this coastal hike (from my door) 6-8 times during this past month.

View along the path around the outside of *Caldera Blanca*. Here it doesn’t look much different from southwest Utah.

View of the *Caldera Blanca* from along its rim, with the west coast of Lanzarote and the ocean in the background. Amazing views make this one of the most popular hikes on the island.

A view towards the *Montana Caldereta* from the rim of the *Caldera Blanca*. A recent lava field surrounds the caldereta. The white line in the background is a village.

Femes village, the trailhead for one of my hikes in the southeast of the island. Typical Lanzarotan architecture is seen here. Unlike other Canary Islands, Lanzarote has largely been spared unsightly development.

A ridge view near *Pico Redondo* towards *Playa Blanca* at the south end of Lanzarote. The island of Fuerteventura is on the left in the background. A 45 minute ferry runs several times a day from *Playa Blanca* to Fuerteventura and back.

A ridge view on *Lomo del Pozo* towards *Puerto del Carmen*

A coastal view back towards *El Golfo* on the west coast of the island. This land was created in the 1730’s through a series of eruptions.

Typical plants surviving in the tough west coast soil north of *El Golfo* in Timanfaya National Park

Further north on the west coast is the *Playa de Famara*. With favorable winds and good surf, this beach is popular with both surfers and wind surfers.

The southern end of *El Risco de Famara* (cliffs) just north of the *Playa de Famara*. The path ended near here.

The *Finca de Corona* at the trailhead to another Risco de Famara hike even further north. It happens to be for sale.

Finca lands growing something. Agriculture (and viniculture) is definitely a challenge in the poor volcanic soil.

View from the top of the *Risco de Famara.* The path goes down off to the left here.

One of the few plants I saw in flower on the *Risco de Famara*

View towards *Isla Graciosa* from near the bottom of the *Risco de Famara.* I didn’t make it over to this small island last month. Something for next time.

Dunes and the *Risco de Famara*. The path back to the top is near the center of the cliffs here.

View from my balcony late one day. The island of Fuerteventura is visible to the right in the distance.

Wishing my readers a wonderful holiday season, my next post will be towards the end of January from Chile following my attempted climb of Ojos del Salado, the world’s highest volcano.

The Vagabond Hiker

Day hikes around Hobart, Tasmania

March 7, 2017

Since departing the United States in mid-January, I had been traveling more than 5 weeks at a frenetic pace throughout southeast Asia before casting up in southern Tasmania. Spending 6 weeks here in the southernmost state in Australia, two in the south and four in the north of the island, is a welcome relief. (The Calendar Tab shows my current travel plans). After sleeping in a different bed almost every night (not as salacious as it sounds), knowing that one doesn’t need to grab one’s things and head out the door early the next morning has been quite a luxury.

During my first two weeks here, I went on five or six short day hikes within a 2.5 hour radius of the rural cottage I had been staying at south of Hobart. These hikes encompassed some of the diverse ecosystems nearby, from rain forest in the lower elevations of Mt. Field National Park to coastal forest and heath southeast and southwest of Hobart, to a sub-alpine environment on the higher slopes of Mt Hartz. I assembled the photos that follow from these jaunts as well as a trip to Hobart’s Royal Tasmanian Botanical Garden. Some dramatic and beautiful scenery, strange endemic flora and fauna, and great late summer weather added up to yet more wonderful hikes for

The Vagabond Hiker