By John Pedler
Published: Tuesday, June 11, 2019
Among Australia's many great attractions, there's a fair collection of monster rocks. Here are some of our favourites.
In the highly competitive world of rock sizes, Bald Rock takes the gong for being ‘Australia’s largest exposed granite surface’. Awkward title to squeeze onto a souvenir teaspoon but impressive nonetheless.
Rising 200m above the surrounding bushland, it’s a relatively easy walk to the top for commanding views.
Getting there: Bald rock is 39km north of Tenterfield via a sealed road.
Where to stay: There are bush campsites (fees apply) and a picnic ground
Karlu Karlu started out as a single great lump of molten magma beneath another great lump of sandstone. The magma cooled to form granite which was exposed when the overlying sandstone eroded away.
When the granite eroded, it separated into hundreds of smaller segments. This left a number of boulders balancing precariously, and created the perfect setting for, “Look, I’m holding up a giant rock” selfies.
Getting there: Located just off the Stuart Highway, 9km south of Wauchope.
Where to stay: There’s a bush campground with toilet (fee applies) at the Karlu Karlu / Devils Marbles Conservation Reserve. The nearest accommodation and caravan park can be found at the tiny roadside settlement of Wauchope.
It’s all about location. As their name suggests these rocks are quite something, and their lofty perch atop coastal cliffs certainly adds to their appeal.
Sculpted into wild shapes by the incessant forces of wind, rain and sea spray, and daubed with bright orange lichen, this is a feature that suggests a Salvador Dali-esque approach to landscape design.
Getting there: The Remarkable Rocks are near the western end of Kangaroo Island, 118km from Kingscote, via a sealed road. The rocks are within Flinders Chase National Park and entry fees apply.
Where to stay: There are several camping areas inside the park (fees apply) and three accommodation options. There are numerous camping areas, caravan parks and accommodation options throughout Kangaroo Island.
Unknown until about 30,000 years ago, Uluru is considered one of the world’s most impressive inselbergs, or ‘island mountains’. Spectacularly located in the middle of a desert, this massive chunk of sandstone can be seen for miles around.
Even viewed from its attendant accommodation village, Yulara, some 20km away, Uluru utterly dominates the landscape.
Rising 348 metres above the plain it’s often compared in height to the Eiffel Tower, which tops out at a mere 324 metres. However it’s less than half the height of Dubai’s Burj Khalifa, which highlights just how insanely tall that extravagant edifice is.
Just down the road are the clustered domes of Kata Tjuta, aka The Olgas.
Search the web and you’ll find a number of contenders for world’s greatest rock. Among these are Ben Amera in Mauritania, Zuma Rock in Nigeria, and even our own Uluru. But when it comes to size, the general consensus is that Western Australia’s giant monocline Mt Augustus is champion.
Of course if you’ve found yourself embroiled in the monolith/monocline/inselberg debate – and we’ve all been there – then you might have a different view.
At eight kilometres in length and looming a whopping 715m above the outback plains, Mt Augustus is twice the size of Uluru.
Getting there: Mt Augustus is a 430 km drive from Carnarvon and 360 km from Meekatharra via unsealed roads, which are suitable for conventional vehicles with decent clearance – weather permitting.
Where to stay: Although there’s no camping or accommodation within Mt Augustus National Park, the Mt Augustus Tourist Park, near the park boundary, has accommodation, powered sites, campsites and fuel.
This is a remote area and travellers need to be fully self-sufficient. There’s no mobile phone coverage.
Walga Rock is renowned not only for its impressive size but also for its wealth of Aboriginal rock paintings, hosting the largest rock art gallery in WA. Among the artwork is the likeness of a sailing ship which, after many years of speculation, is now thought to have been painted by a pearl diver known as Sammy Malay, around 1917.
With a circumference of 5km and a length of 1.5km, Walga Rock is among the largest rocks in the country.
Getting there: Walga Rock is 48km west of Cue via an unsealed road.
Where to stay: There’s no camping or accommodation at the rock but Cue has hotel/motel accommodation and a caravan park.
It’s surprising this region receives so few travellers but, like much of western SA, there are great rewards for those who make the effort.
Pildappa Rock is just one of several granite inselbergs that dominate the landscape around Wudinna and Minnipa. If it were located in a more popular tourist region its image would grace fridge magnets, country songs would laud its virtues, and its name would complete T-shirt slogans claiming, “I climbed…”
It’s a fairly easy walk to the top where there are superb views of the surrounding farmland and the distant Gawler Ranges.
Getting there: Pildappa Rock is 15km north of Minnipa via an unsealed road, suitable for conventional vehicles in dry weather.
Where to stay: There’s an excellent bush camp/picnic area at the base of the rock, complete with toilet, sheltered picnic table and free barbecue. Donations into the honesty box are greatly appreciated. Both Minnipa and Wudinna have caravan parks and hotel/motel accommodation.
Wave Rock is actually a small section of the northern face of Hyden Rock. The erosive power of moisture created the wave shape when the rock was still underground, and subsequent erosion has since unearthed a mighty granite slab.
Streaky water stains have enhanced the concave effect and add to the impression that a powerful ocean breaker caught a glimpse of Medusa.
There are several walking trails including one that leads to the top of the rock. There are also picnic areas with barbecues and toilets at the base.
The entrance fee can be paid at the kiosk in the caravan park.
Getting there: Wave Rock is 340km east of Perth and 4km west of the small township of Hyden, via sealed roads.
Where to stay: There’s a caravan park with cabins at the base of the rock and Hyden has motel accommodation. Wave Rock Lakeside Resort is about 1.5km to the north of the rock.
When the minor placings for Australia’s rock sizes are discussed, Mt Wudinna is occasionally mentioned in the mix. Some even claim it’s a worthy contender for the bronze, the top two spots going to Mt Augustus and Uluru.
However it would be wise to keep a lid on this point of view if you’re ever in the pub with the Bald Rock or Walga Rock crowds.
Nevertheless, Mt Wudinna is an impressive block of granite and, at a height of 261m, offers great views across the northern Eyre Peninsula’s canola fields.
A gradual but relentless slope will lead you the top in no time, with allowances made for huffing and puffing stops.
There are excellent picnic facilities at the base of the rock.
Getting there: Mt Wudinna is 10km north of the township of Wudinna via an unsealed road, suitable for conventional vehicles.
Where to stay: There are no camping facilities on-site but Wudinna has a caravan park, and hotel and motel accommodation.