It's unfortunate when tourists and locals alike trade woo-woo stories instead of knowledge.  If Thor Heyerdahl and photos can be believed in the book, "Kon-Tiki Man", he documented the making and raising of one of the moai by locals through clever use of stones and levers. This was several decades ago, and no less wonderful a story. When Thor asked Easter Island's mayor why great mystery still surrounded the stones, the mayor reportedly answered, "Nobody asked us."