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22 Super Interesting Facts About Uluru for Kids

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Last Updated on December 29, 2022 by Ariana Svenson

Join us on a fascinating journey to Australia’s Red Centre with these interesting facts about Uluru for kids.  To start with, did you know that Uluru is vitally important to indigenous Australians and also a symbol of Australia for all people?

One of the first facts about Uluru for kids is that it is also commonly known as Ayers Rock, so this post also covers facts about Ayers Rock.

This post may contain affiliate links, from which we would earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you. More info in my disclaimer.

Visiting Uluru with our Little Miss at 1 year old. Uluru Australia, Ayers Rock

Why Share These Uluru Facts for Kids?

Firstly, in our entire Facts For Kids Series, we believe it is only fair to share information about places we have visited and can share our own perspectives!  We visited Uluru, Australia, when our daughter was just one year old and spent over a week in the Uluru area, including Kings Canyon.

One of the most interesting Uluru fun facts is that it has to be one of the most isolated tourist destinations on earth!  We’ve also shared our perspective on Uluru with kids as we can’t wait to return with the rest of our kids.  For tips and hints on how to visit read Uluru with Kids: Your Ultimate Guide to an Uluru Family Holiday.

If you are inspired by our Uluru Facts for kids, then please take a look at our complete celebration of Australia with  Fun Australia Facts for Kids.

Uluru with Kids: Your Ultimate Guide to an Uluru Family Holiday, 22 Super Interesting Facts About Uluru for Kids

Fun Uluru Facts for Kids

Also known as Ayers Rock, Uluru is one of Australia’s most famous natural landmarks.  The sandstone formation is massive, beautiful, and known for its warm reddish-brown hue.  At sunrise and sunset, it changes colours.  Learn more about this wonder with these amazing Uluru fun facts for kids.

What is Uluru?

Uluru is a sacred place of the Anangu Aborigines, who have been in the area for around 10,000 years.  Uluru is a family name that is used both for the actual monolith and the waterhole on top of the rock.

The Anangu people belong to the Pitjantjatjara and Yankunytjatjara tribes and are recognized as the traditional owners of Uluru.  An important fact about the Uluru region is that the traditional owners make decisions about the area’s management.

Uluru with Kids: Your Ultimate Guide to an Uluru Family Holiday,22 Super Interesting Facts About Uluru for Kids

How Many People Visit Uluru Each Year?

More than 250,000 people from across the country and the world visit Uluru and Kata Tjuta each year.

Many Animals Live in the Uluru Area

Many animals live in Uluru – 21 native mammals, 73 kinds of reptiles, and 178 bird species.  These include the red kangaroo, dingo, blue tongue lizard, thorny devil, water-holding frogs, Australian ringneck parrot, brown falcon, zebra finch, and rainbow bee-eater.

Australian Outback Uluru Rock formation

How Long Does it Take to Walk Around Uluru?

The base around the Uluru monolith measures 9.4km.  If you walk the entire trail, it will take about three to four hours to complete.  Of course, it depends on your speed and fitness level.

Read More: The Best Women’s Hiking Boots (Australia)

How Big is Uluru?

Uluru measures 3.6km long and 2.4km wide.  It has a circumference of 9.4km.  You probably think Uluru is the hugest rock formation on the planet.  But it is not.  That title belongs to Mount Augustus in Western Australia.

How Tall is Uluru?

Uluru is 348m above ground and 836m above sea level.  It is taller than the Eiffel Tower.  Now, that’s one of the coolest Uluru facts for kids!

 

Interesting Uluru Facts For Kids

How Was Uluru formed?

Uluru once sat at the bottom of the sea as an island mountain.  About 400 million years ago, the oceans around it dried up.  The earth’s tectonic plates moved and caused the rocks to bend and wear away.  As the boulders eroded, they left behind a strikingly shaped monolith known today as Uluru.

How Old is Uluru?

Scientists believe Uluru is 500 million years old.  Want more incredible Uluru fun facts for kids?  Dinosaurs lived on Earth around 200 to 300 million years ago.  It means Uluru is older than the dinosaurs.

Is it Uluru or Ayers Rock?

The local Pitjantjara people, the traditional owners, have called the landmark Uluru forever.  The English name is Ayers Rock, dating from 1873 when it was named for Sir Henry Ayers, a senior politician in the state of South Australia.

A fun fact about Uluru is that in 1993 it was the first official dual-named feature in the Northern Territory as Ayers Rock/Uluru, finally ending up with its present name of Uluru/Ayers Rock in 2002.  So there you have it one of the lesser-known facts of Uluru is that its official name is Uluru/Ayers Rock.

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What is the Uluru Dreamtime Story for Kids?

The Uluru Dreamtime story for kids tells the beginning of the rock formation.  It also includes other legends and myths about the area.  The Anangu Aboriginals believe their ancestors, or spirit people, created the monolith at the start of time.

According to the story, two tribes battled over a beautiful lizard woman.  The bloodshed made Earth so sad and sorry that it rose from the ground, becoming Uluru and the surrounding boulders and caves.  During a tour of Uluru, your local Anangu guide will narrate these tales.

Is Uluru The World’s Largest Rock?

You will see Uluru/Ayers Rock popularly described as the world’s largest rock.  The fun Uluru fact here is –  this claim is actually incorrect!

The world’s largest rock is actually Mt. Augustus in Western Australia.  However, Uluru is the largest monolith in the world and of monoliths and monoclines!

Speaking of Western Australia, that is where we are from.  If you want to learn more about Western Australia you are in luck as we have build a whole website dedicated to the wonderful WA.  Check out our website, Western Australian Travel.

Ayers Rock Facts, Uluru Facts, Man in front of Ayers rock australia

You Can’t See Much Of Uluru

Another of the lesser-known facts on Uluru are that there is actually much more of the monolith underground than above ground.  2.5km of the rock sits underground and is possibly connected to the Olgas.

How Did Uluru Come to Be?

Uluru looms up abruptly from the desert plains and, technically, is an inselberg (which means island mountain).

An Uluru fun fact for kids is that originally it would have been at the bottom of the sea many millions of years ago, but as the softer areas eroded away, the hard rock of the monolith was left behind!

 

ayers rock australia,Interesting Uluru Facts For Kids

Facts About the Uluru Region

The Uluru region is one of the most interesting areas in the world; here are some fun facts about the Uluru region.

Does the Australian Government Own Uluru?

No. The Anangu people owns Uluru and Kata Tjuta. The land is on lease to the Australian Government.  The Government first made Uluru (then known as Ayers Rock) a national park in 1950.

It discouraged the Anangu from visiting the area during this time.  But in 1985, the Anangu won back the deeds to their homeland and were named the traditional owners of the park.  Nowadays, the Anangu and the Government work together to preserve the area and promote tourism.

The Uluru Climate is Semi-Arid Desert

The location of Uluru has a hot desert climate.  It means Uluru can get very hot during summer (December to January), with an average high temperature of 37.8 °C (100.0 °F).  In winter (June–July), the temperature drops to an average of 4.7 °C (40.5 °F).

The Anangu people recognize five kinds of seasons in Uluru.  They are cooler weather (April to May), cold season with frosts (June to July), breeding season (August to October), the hot season (November to December), and stormy season (January to March).

How do You Get to Uluru Or Ayers Rock?

Ayers Rock, more correctly known by its indigenous Aboriginal name of Uluru, is a monolith in central Australia in the middle of the Australian outback.

To visit involves a decent amount of travel to get there.  Getting to Uluru from Alice Springs requires about a five-hour drive.  Or, if you are more intrepid, you could always try an Adelaide to the Red Centre road trip; get inspired by this Adelaide to Alice Springs itinerary.

Are There Other Rock Formations Like Ayers Rock?

Uluru is not the only rock formation in Australia’s red centre!  Kata Tjuta, (meaning Many Heads) consists of 36 dome-shaped rocks and is a fascinating place to visit.  It is thought that Kata Tjuta was once one massive monolith (like Uluru) but eroded to the current 36 heads over millions of years!

Also known as “The Olgas”, Kata Tjuta and Uluru are the major features within the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park in the Northern Territory.  One of the facts about the Uluru region is you must not miss visiting them!

The Area Surrounding Uluru has Ample Ancient Paintings, Rock Caves, and Even WaterHoles to be Explored

Uluru is sacred to the Anangu people, and you will find many of their ancient paintings in the caves at the base of the monolith.  The surrounding area is home to waterholes, seasonal springs, rock caves, and different plants and animals.  The Mutitjulu Waterhole, which you can reach through the Kuniya walk, is one of the most stunning attractions in Uluru.

Field of Lights Ayers Rock Australia, Ayers Rock Tours, Uluru Tours

When is the Best Time to Visit Uluru?

The colors of Uluru and Kata Tjuta change as the sun moves overhead, ranging from orange to a rich burgundy.  The stunning tangerine-red color of Uluru is due to the surface oxidation of its iron content.

If you are visiting Uluru with kids, try to visit one or both sites at sunrise and sunset when the golden light of the sun brightens the red rocks.  We did this during our visit and were very glad of the beautiful photos we took.

Uluru is Listed as A UNESCO World Heritage Site and a Natural World Heritage Site

Another interesting Uluru fact for kids is that Uluru is one of the few places in the world to have TWO World heritage listings.

In 1987 it was made a Natural World Heritage site due to its unique geology.  Then, in 1997, it was also put on the World Heritage site list as a cultural site due to its importance to the local Aborigines.  What a fun fact about Uluru – it is on both the cultural and Natural World Heritage registers!

10 Interesting Uluru Facts For Kids, Ayers Rock

The Land Has a Rich History

The Anangu tribe has lived around the Uluru and Kata Tjuta area for over 30,000 years.  Kata Tjuta is a group of domed rock formations a 45-minute drive from Uluru.  These two landmarks are part of the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, an Aboriginal reserve.

William Gosse was the first non-Aboriginal person to see Uluru.  He called it Ayers Rock after Sir Henry Ayers, the Chief Secretary of South Australia.

UNESCO added Uluru to its World Heritage List twice, first in 1987 for its natural value and in 1994 for its cultural importance.

Read More: The Best Holiday Destinations in Australia

 

22 Interesting Uluru Facts For Kids
We chose not to climb Uluru and hiked around the base instead.

Can You Climb Uluru?

At the time of updating these Uluru Facts for kids, it is no longer permitted to climb Uluru.  According to Aboriginal tradition, only special wise men within the tribe may climb the rock.  Despite this, in 1964, the Australian government installed a chain making it easier for tourists to climb, which they have done in their thousands.

In 1985 Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park was handed back to the traditional owners for them to manage,  in what is known as the “handback”.  In the 1990s signs were put up at the base of the climb, asking visitors on behalf of the traditional owners, Please Don’t Climb.

As visitors became more conscious of the importance of respecting the First Nation’s culture, the number of visitors climbing Uluru began to drop.  The Uluru Rock climb closed permanently in October 2019, marking the 34th anniversary of the return of Uluru to indigenous management.  This is a momentous occasion and one that we, at World of Travels with Kids, wholeheartedly celebrate support!

Ayers Rock or Uluru Australia at Sunset

The Verdict – Interesting Uluru Facts for Kids

We hope you have enjoyed our Uluru Facts for kids.  Also, they help you to understand why Uluru is important, how old Uluru is, and why it is sometimes called Ayers Rock.

Do you think that there are other fun facts about Uluru that would be a great addition to this page?  Please let us know if there is an important Uluru fact that we have missed!

 

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Hi! We are a multicultural family from Peru, Nicaragua & Australia. We believe adventures can be global – and local – and are one part of our sustainable lifestyle, and raising children who are global eco-citizens.