Things to do with kids in Uluru & Yulara

The full base walk is a 10.6km loop of about three and a half hours, with water, toilets and emergency call points. Parks Australia suggests starting early from the Mala carpark and walking clockwise, or choosing one shorter section. Signs mark sensitive sites where Aṉangu ask you not to take photos, and some tracks close on hot summer afternoons.

This is the main sunrise viewing area, 35 minutes' drive from Yulara, with shelters, platforms, toilets and water. Two short wheelchair-accessible loops share Aṉangu culture, and the 1km Minymaku Walk includes some of the games young children play. Park passes are free for under-18s, and adults pay $38 for three days.

From the car sunset viewing area, the rock shifts from pink to orange and deep red as the sun sinks behind you. It is 15 to 20 minutes from Yulara, with no toilets or water, and gets busy in school holidays, so arrive early. Aṉangu ask that photos show the whole rock rather than zoomed-in details.

This working camel farm in Yulara has more than 50 camels, a saddlery and a museum about Australian and Afghan cameleers. Riders must be at least five years old and 107cm tall, and children up to 16 ride with a paying adult. Tours include pick-up and drop-off, and riders don't need a national park pass.

The rim walk is a 6km loop of three to four hours. It starts with a steep climb, so it is only for fit walkers, and swimming isn't allowed in the Garden of Eden rockhole halfway round. On days forecast to reach 36°C or more, you must start before 9am.

Kings Canyon's red walls rise 100m above Kings Creek, 450km south-west of Alice Springs. The Kings Creek Walk is an easy 2.6km return that takes about an hour, and Parks NT says it suits families. Everyone needs sturdy shoes, and park access is limited in the hottest months, September to March.

Kathleen Springs is 21km by road from Kings Canyon, and its 2.4km return path is paved for wheelchairs and prams. Signs along the way tell Aboriginal stories and the area's cattle history, and the path ends at a spring-fed waterhole. Swimming isn't allowed, as the waterhole is special to local Aboriginal people and important for wildlife.