The Devils Marbles Information

These giant boulders aren t just rocks but they are the meeting place of four different language groups.

The devils marbles information.

An enigmatic place of breathtaking scenic beauty the precarious piles of huge granite boulders wide open. Yet the classic photo of two giant rounded boulders in the vast arid landscape hardly does justice to an area that. Karlu karlu devils marbles conservation reserve is a protected area in the northern territory of australia located in the locality of warumungu about 105 km 65 mi south of tennant creek and 393 km 244 mi north of alice springs. Discover the iconic karlu karlu devils marbles believed by the warmungu aboriginal people to be the fossilised eggs of the rainbow serpent.

This includes alyawarre kayteye warumunga and the warlpiri people. Take your time to explore the region s most famous landmark. Travellers on the stuart highway can experience a range of the territory s amazing natural landscapes especially the impressive sight of the devils marbles or karlu karlu. The devils marbles are a sacred site known as karlu karlu in the language of the traditional owners the warumungu people.

The devils marbles are giant rocks located in the aboriginal country of warumungu in northern territory that stand upon a mountain made up of many other rocks. The folding of the earth s crust lead to the lifting of the granite and the erosion of the sandstone after the granite came to the surface pressure was lost and the granite expanded causing cracks to form and fall apart in large square blocks. Formed over millions of years they continue to crack and erode making for a unique view each time you visit. The devils marbles are a collection of massive granite boulders strewn across a valley south of tennant creek.

Standing at up to 6 metres high and formed over millions of years they continue to crack and change. Actually they vary in size from 50 cm up to six metres across and they are strewn across a large area. These giant rocks have been around for millions of years and are now a well known australian attraction visited by many tourists every year. The people of warumungu call the devils marbles karlu karlu as it means round boulders.

The devils marbles are a very important australian attraction although they are even more important to the aboriginal culture. These gigantic boulders have become an internationally recognised symbol of australia s outback and are spectacular when the light of the morning and evening sun highlights their deep red colour. The nearest settlement is the small town of wauchope located 9 km 5 6 mi to the south. The devils marbles or karlu karlu as they are known by the local warumungu aboriginals are a collection of huge red rounded granite boulders.

The devils marbles are known as karlu karlu in all four local aboriginal languages.