Uluru Finally Closes - 30th October 2019

Uluru, is the big red rock in central Australia. Some visitors climbed the rock, but on Friday, Uluru closed forever. The rock is a very special place for local people, the Anangu. They celebrated the rock closing.

They say Uluru can now have a "well-earned rest".

The weeks before the rock closed, huge numbers of people went up the rock. There are signs at the bottom. They say, "Please don't climb". They explain Anangu beliefs and why climbing it is dangerous. But the people going up didn't care.

Uluru is also closing for safety. 37 people have died on the rock since 1950. There were lots of injuries too.

People also left rubbish and toilet waste. This polluted the water.

A big event on Sunday celebrated Uluru closing. There was traditional dancing, music and talks.

In 2017, only 16 per cent of visitors went up Uluru. Most people care about the Anangu religion. The Anangu's religious stories happen there. The national park agreed to close the rock in 2019.

The Anangu waited 34 years to stop people going up. The Anangu 'feel' their environment and now they can feel rested.