Looking at the globe Hawaii seems to be floating in the middle of the Pacific. How did the precursors to Hawaiian aboriginals know there were islands there, and how did they get there ?
Polynesians didn't just set out at random, hoping to make landfall before they starved. They made very planned excursions into new territory, bringing enough supplies that they could turn around after a certain point and return to the home base.
Take a look at the Pacific ocean near Hawaii. There are tons of small islands and atolls that form a link from Southeast Asia out to the middle of the ocean. They weren't rowing along in canoes for months on end simply hoping they'd make it.
Their navigation systems were pretty incredible, too. By using changes in currents and observing cloud patterns, they could determine if there was land nearby. They were known for loading their ships with about 11 crucial species of plant that were instrumental for their agricultural and shipbuilding traditions.
A group called the Wayfinders built a replica of one of these voyaging craft, which has since circumnavigated the globe.
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