I have heard that the Polynesians knew how to navigate based on the ocean currents (and the stars?) between islands, and that they elaborated maps of where islands were located with respect to one another, and in Polynesia and Micronesia I imagine it was relatively easy to find new islands. Did they have some kind of system to locate far-fetched islands? How did they colonize Hawai'i or Rapanui?
Did they have some kind of system to locate far-fetched islands?
Oh yes, they did. More can always be said on the matter from anyone with the knowledge, especially as Polynesian navigation is a most excellent and highly underrated topic, so if you can contribute an answer to this question, please don't let this post stop you! For the meantime, the Oceania section of the FAQ has quite a few related posts.