for a reasonable amount of time before doing it in the real place?
this part seemed to be fake to me, just to add some drama to the movie.
Why would I save a world I no longer have any stake in?
I don't think it was fake; it was just sheer stupidity. It's like not protecting the cables from animals, too. They had no clue what they were doing; they were just expecting everything to work out because their cause was just. Once they failed they realized they actually had to put some thought and preparation into it.
"My name is Paikea Apirana, and I come from a long line of chiefs stretching all the way back to the Whale Rider."