Natural wonder Australia and Oceania
Uluru
Uluru is a giant red rock in the middle of Australia. It is very important to the Anangu people, who look after it. After rain, waterfalls run down its sides.
Uluru is a huge sandstone rock in the desert of central Australia, rising 348 meters above the plain, with a base 9.4 kilometers around. The Anangu are its Traditional Owners, and the national park around it is run by Anangu and Parks Australia together.
Uluru, formerly Ayers Rock, is an arkose sandstone monolith about half a billion years old, rising 348 m above the plains of central Australia. Anangu are its Traditional Owners; since the 1985 Handback, Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park has been jointly managed, and the climb closed permanently on 26 October 2019.
Photo: Corey Leopold, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Discover Uluru
Uluru is a giant rock in the middle of Australia.
It is red and stands all alone on a flat, sandy plain. It is very important to the Anangu people. They have lived on this land for a very, very long time.
Uluru rises from the red, sandy plains of central Australia, in Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park. It used to be called Ayers Rock. It stands 348 meters above the plain, and walking all the way around its base is a trip of 9.4 kilometers. To the west are the domes of Kata Tjuṯa.
The Anangu are the Traditional Owners of Uluru and Kata Tjuṯa. Anangu own the land and lease it to the Australian Government, and since 1985 the park has been run jointly by Anangu and the Australian Government, working with Parks Australia. For Anangu, Parks Australia explains, Uluru is inseparable from Tjukurpa, their traditional law. More than 250,000 people visit each year.
Uluru, formerly known as Ayers Rock, rises 348 m above the surrounding plain (about 863 m above sea level) and has a circumference of 9.4 km. In 2018 the Northern Territory Geological Survey estimated its weight, for the part above ground alone, at 1,425,000,000 tonnes. The tallest dome of nearby Kata Tjuṯa rises 546 m above the plain.
UNESCO describes the park as one of spectacular geological formations dominating the red sandy plain of central Australia and names the Aṉangu Aboriginal people as its traditional owners; it is dual-listed for its natural and cultural values. Parks Australia states that Aṉangu own Uluṟu and Kata Tjuṯa and lease the land to the Australian Government, that the park is jointly managed, and that for Aṉangu, Uluṟu is inseparable from Tjukurpa, traditional law. More than 250,000 people visit each year.
- Height above the plain
- 348 m
- Distance around the base
- 9.4 km
- Traditional Owners
- Aṉangu
- Visitors a year
- more than 250,000
How Uluru was made
Long, long ago, rain washed sand off tall mountains.
The sand piled up and was covered by a sea. It turned into hard rock. Then the land tipped the rock on its side. Over a very long time, the softer rock around it wore away, and Uluru was left standing.
Uluru began to form about 550 million years ago. Back then, the Petermann Ranges to the west were much taller. Rain washed sand and rock down from them and spread it out on the plains in big fan shapes. One fan was mostly sand.
About 500 million years ago, a sea covered the area, and the weight of new mud and sand on the seabed pressed the sandy fan into rock: the sandstone of Uluru. By 400 million years ago the sea had gone, and movements of Earth's plates tilted the layers. Uluru was tipped right up on its side, 90 degrees. Over the last 300 million years the softer rock around it wore away, leaving Uluru standing. Like an iceberg, most of it is hidden: the rock continues far underground.
Parks Australia describes the sequence: about 550 million years ago, erosion of the then much taller Petermann Ranges deposited two great fans on the plains, one mainly water-smoothed rock and one mostly sand. Around 500 million years ago the area was covered by sea, and the weight of new seabed sediment turned the fans to rock: the sandy fan became the arkose sandstone of Uluṟu and the rocky fan the conglomerate of Kata Tjuṯa. About 400 million years ago, as the sea disappeared and tectonic plates shifted, the rocks folded and tilted; Kata Tjuṯa tilted slightly and Uluṟu by 90 degrees.
Over the last 300 million years, softer rocks eroded away, leaving the two formations standing. Parks Australia notes that both are the tips of huge rock slabs continuing underground for up to 6 km. Uluṟu's red surface is iron in the arkose rusting, with flakes left as water and oxygen decay its minerals; its original gray color shows inside many of its caves.
Desert life
The desert around Uluru is full of life.
There are lizards, birds, kangaroos and dingoes. After a big rain, frogs wake up and tiny shrimps hatch in the rock pools!
The desert around Uluru may look empty, but it is busy with life. Parks Australia counts 21 kinds of mammals, 73 reptiles, 178 birds and 4 desert frogs in the park, and more than 400 kinds of plants, from eucalyptus woodland to spinifex grassland. Many of the plants are used by Anangu for food, tools and medicine.
Rain changes everything. The park gets around 300 millimeters a year, but it comes unevenly. After heavy rain, waterfalls pour down Uluru, burrowing frogs wake up and come out to mate, and tiny shield shrimps hatch in waterholes from eggs that can wait for years. Kangaroos, wallabies, dingoes and even the shy marsupial mole are more often seen.
Parks Australia records 21 mammal, 73 reptile, 178 bird and 4 frog species and more than 400 plants, including several rare species, in vegetation ranging from eucalypt woodland to spinifex grassland; many plants have traditional uses as bush foods, tools, medicine and fuel. Temperatures range from as high as 47 °C on summer days to −7 °C on winter nights, and average rainfall is about 300 mm but erratic, so plants and animals rely on opportunistic breeding and feeding.
After heavy rain, Parks Australia describes a pulse of life: burrowing frogs emerge after years underground, shield shrimps (Triops australiensis) hatch from eggs dormant for years in temporary pools, insects hatch and breed, birds such as galahs bathe and play, and mammals rarely seen at other times, including kangaroos, wallabies, dingoes and the itjaritjari (marsupial mole), may appear. Waterfalls run down the rock and its surface turns from burgundy to silver and black.
Anangu and the park
Anangu have looked after this land for many thousands of years.
In 1985, the land was handed back to Anangu. Now Anangu and park rangers look after it together.
Archaeological evidence shows Aboriginal people have lived in Central Australia for more than 30,000 years, and Anangu have lived on and managed this Country for many thousands of years. European explorers first saw Kata Tjuṯa in 1872 and Uluru in 1873.
Uluru became part of a national park in 1950. After more than 35 years of campaigning, Anangu were recognized as the Traditional Owners in 1985 and handed back the deeds to their homelands, an event called Handback. In 1993 the park was renamed Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park. Today Anangu still follow Tjukurpa, and visitors may see people dot painting, performing traditional dance and song, or gathering bush food.
Parks Australia states that Aboriginal people have inhabited Central Australia for more than 30,000 years and that Aṉangu have lived on and managed this Country for many millennia. A party led by Ernest Giles saw Kata Tjuṯa in 1872, and William Gosse became the first European to see Uluṟu in 1873.
Ayers Rock was declared a national park in 1950; in 1958 Ayers Rock and Mount Olga were excised from an Aboriginal reserve to form Ayers Rock–Mt Olga National Park, renamed in 1977. In 1985, after more than 35 years of campaigning, Aṉangu were recognized as Traditional Owners and handed back the deeds to their homelands; the park took its present name in 1993 and is jointly managed. Parks Australia describes it as a living cultural landscape where Aṉangu are still guided by Tjukurpa, and where visitors may see dot painting, inma (traditional dance and song) and the gathering of bush tucker.
Why the climb closed
People do not climb Uluru anymore.
Anangu asked visitors not to climb, and in 2019 the climb closed for good. Now visitors walk around the base instead.
Visitors began climbing Uluru in the late 1930s, and a chain was put in to help them in 1964. But climbing Uluru was not generally allowed under Tjukurpa, Anangu law and culture. From the 1990s, signs at the base asked visitors, on behalf of Anangu, Please Don't Climb, and as people learned more, fewer of them climbed.
In November 2017 the park's Board of Management, which has eight Aboriginal members nominated by the Traditional Owners, voted unanimously to close the climb. It closed permanently on 26 October 2019, 34 years after Handback. Today climbing Uluru breaks Australian law, and walkers enjoy the rock from the base walk instead.
Parks Australia states that Uluṟu has been sacred to Aṉangu for tens of thousands of years and that climbing it was not generally permitted under Tjukurpa (Aṉangu law and Culture). Visitors began climbing in the late 1930s; the first section of chain was installed in 1964. At Handback in 1985 the question of closing the climb was raised, and Aṉangu spokesman Kunmanara Lester said that, while Aṉangu did not like people climbing, it would be allowed for now.
In the 1990s signs asked visitors on behalf of Aṉangu, Please Don't Climb, and the share of visitors climbing fell. The 2010 Management Plan signaled the intention to close the climb; in November 2017 the Board of Management, with criteria including climbers falling below 20 percent of visitors, voted unanimously to close it from 26 October 2019, the 34th anniversary of Handback. Climbing is now a breach of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act, and penalties apply.
Visiting safely
It can be very hot at Uluru. Wear a hat and drink lots of water.
Stay on the marked tracks. Do not touch or feed the animals. Always ask before taking a photo of a person.
The park is beautiful but harsh. Temperatures often reach 30 °C or more and can pass 40 °C in summer, so walk in the cooler parts of the day, avoid the hottest hours from 2:30 to 6:30 p.m., wear a broad-brimmed hat, sunscreen and sturdy shoes, and carry and drink at least one liter of water per person every hour. Do not walk on tracks that are closed because of heat.
Respect Anangu culture and the land: stay on marked tracks and paths, do not climb onto rocks or boulders, and do not enter or photograph restricted areas. Ask permission before photographing Anangu. Do not touch or feed wildlife; keep your distance from snakes and never touch or feed dingoes. A friendly palya, which means hello, thank you and more, is a simple way to show respect.
Parks Australia's safety advice: temperatures regularly reach 30 °C and can exceed 40 °C, and heat exhaustion, dehydration and hyponatremia are real dangers. Walk only in cooler hours, avoiding 2.30 to 6.30 pm (in summer, not after 11 am); wear a broad-brimmed hat, sunscreen and sturdy shoes; drink at least one liter per person per hour; avoid sports, diet and caffeinated drinks; obey closures and ranger directions. Emergency radios stand on most walks. Keep away from king brown snakes (liru) and never touch or feed dingoes.
Cultural protocols ask visitors not to enter or photograph restricted areas, including sacred and ceremonial sites, burial grounds and homes; to ask permission before photographing Aṉangu; to obtain permits for commercial images; and to stay on marked tracks and off rock formations, which also ensures visitors do not enter sacred areas. To protect the fragile environment, visitors should not walk over vegetation or break plants, and should not touch or handle wildlife.
Amazing facts
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Most of Uluru is hidden underground.
Like an iceberg, most of Uluru is hidden: the rock continues underground for up to 6 kilometers.
Parks Australia notes that Uluṟu and Kata Tjuṯa are the tips of huge rock slabs continuing underground for up to 6 km.
-
Uluru is red because it is rusty!
Uluru's red color comes from iron in the rock rusting. Inside its caves, you can see the rock's original gray.
The red is the rusting of iron that occurs naturally in arkose; the gray patches and cave interiors show the rock's original color.
-
Tiny shrimps can hatch at Uluru after rain.
After heavy rain, shield shrimps hatch in waterholes; their eggs can lie dried up for several years waiting for rain.
Shield shrimps (Triops australiensis) hatch in temporary pools after heavy rain; their eggs can stay dormant for several years.
-
The part of Uluru you can see is very, very heavy.
In 2018 geologists estimated that the part of Uluru above the ground weighs about 1.4 billion tonnes.
The Northern Territory Geological Survey estimated in 2018 that Uluṟu's above-ground part weighs 1,425,000,000 tonnes.
Words to know
- Traditional Owners
- the Aboriginal people whose land and waters a place belongs to by their law and culture
- Tjukurpa
- Anangu traditional law and culture, which guides how they live and care for Country
- sandstone
- rock made from grains of sand pressed and cemented together
- erosion
- the slow wearing away of rock and soil by water, wind or ice
- monolith
- a single, very large block of rock
- Handback
- the 1985 event when the deeds to Uluru-Kata Tjuta were returned to Anangu
Discovery challenge
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Who are the Traditional Owners of Uluru?
Which people are the Traditional Owners of Uluru?
Who were recognized as Uluṟu's Traditional Owners at Handback in 1985?
- The Anangu
- Park visitors
- The first explorers
Show the answer
The Anangu
The Anangu are the Traditional Owners.
Anangu are the Traditional Owners; they own the land and lease it to the Australian Government.
Aṉangu, recognized in 1985 after more than 35 years of campaigning; the park is jointly managed.
-
What kind of rock is Uluru made of?
Uluru is made of which kind of rock?
Uluṟu is composed of which sedimentary rock?
- Ice
- Sandstone, made from sand
- Lava from a volcano
Show the answer
Sandstone, made from sand
Uluru is made of sandstone, rock made from sand.
It is sandstone, made from a sandy fan pressed into rock under an ancient sea.
Arkose, a sandstone formed from a sandy alluvial fan about 500 million years ago.
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Why is Uluru like an iceberg?
Why does Parks Australia compare Uluru to an iceberg?
Why is Uluṟu compared to an iceberg?
- Because it floats
- Because most of it is hidden underground
- Because it is made of ice
Show the answer
Because most of it is hidden underground
We see only the top. Most of it is under the ground.
Most of the rock is hidden: it continues underground for up to 6 kilometers.
It is the tip of a huge slab of tilted rock continuing up to 6 km below the surface.
-
Can visitors climb Uluru today?
What happened to the Uluru climb in 2019?
When did the Uluṟu climb close permanently?
- Yes, anyone can climb it
- No, the climb closed for good in 2019
- Only at night
Show the answer
No, the climb closed for good in 2019
No. The climb closed for good in 2019.
It closed permanently on 26 October 2019, after the Board of Management voted to close it.
From 26 October 2019, the 34th anniversary of Handback; climbing now breaches the EPBC Act.
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How much water should you drink on a hot walk at Uluru?
How much water does Parks Australia say to drink when walking in the park?
What water intake does Parks Australia recommend for walkers in the park?
- None at all
- At least one liter per person every hour
- One small cup a day
Show the answer
At least one liter per person every hour
Drink lots of water, at least one big bottle every hour, and wear a hat.
Carry and drink at least one liter of water per person per hour, and walk in the cooler hours.
At least one liter per person per hour, avoiding sports, diet and caffeinated drinks.
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For parents & teachers
What children will learn
- Locate Uluru in central Australia and describe its size.
- Explain how Uluru formed from sand, was tilted and was exposed by erosion.
- Understand that Anangu are the Traditional Owners and that the park is jointly managed.
- Explain why the climb closed and name Parks Australia's safety and respect guidelines.
Recommended ages: 3 to 17 · About 15 minutes
Talk about it
- Why do you think Parks Australia asks visitors to ask permission before photographing people?
- How can a rock be mostly hidden underground?
- Why might it matter that the decision to close the climb was made by a board including Traditional Owners?
Try at home or in class
- Press layers of damp sand into a tall clear cup, then tip the cup on its side to see how layers can end up standing on end, like Uluru's.
- Leave a steel wool pad (with a grown-up) in a saucer of salty water for a few days and watch it turn red-brown, like rusting iron in Uluru's rock.
Key vocabulary: Traditional Owners, Tjukurpa, sandstone, erosion, monolith, Handback
Where these facts come from
- Wikidata , Wikimedia Foundation (CC0 1.0)
- Natural Earth vector data , Natural Earth (NACIS) (Public domain)
- Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park , UNESCO World Heritage Centre
- Uluṟu , Parks Australia (Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park)
- Amazing facts , Parks Australia (Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park)
- Geology , Parks Australia (Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park)
- Rain on the rock , Parks Australia (Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park)
- Plants , Parks Australia (Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park)
- Animals , Parks Australia (Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park)
- Uluṟu climb closure , Parks Australia (Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park)
- Respecting culture , Parks Australia (Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park)
- Staying safe , Parks Australia (Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park)
- Joint management , Parks Australia (Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park)
- Wikimedia Commons , Wikimedia Foundation (Per file (public domain, CC0, CC BY or CC BY-SA); see each media record)
Checked, not yet human-reviewed. Last updated October 27, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.
Picture credits
- Photo: Corey Leopold, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons · source · license
- Photo: Charles J. Sharp, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons · source · license
- Photo: Johannes Püller, CC BY-SA 2.0 AT, via Wikimedia Commons · source · license
- Photo: PotMart186, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons · source · license