Wedding Cake Rock facts for kids
Wedding Cake Rock, also known as White Rock, is a cool sandstone rock formation. You can find it in the Royal National Park near Bundeena, New South Wales, Australia. It's easy to reach by following the Royal National Park Coast Track. This rock is one of many interesting shapes you'll see north of Marley Beach. It hangs about 25 metres (82 ft) above the ocean!
Wedding Cake Rock is famous for its amazing views and how popular it became with hikers and tourists. Lots of people loved taking photos there. However, its fame caused some problems. In 2015, it became super popular, and sadly, some people damaged it. Because of this, the New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service closed the rock to visitors in May 2015. They were worried about people's safety. A study later showed that the rock was unstable and might fall into the Tasman Sea within the next ten years.
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What is Wedding Cake Rock?
Wedding Cake Rock got its name because it looks just like a slice of a wedding cake! It has clear layers, is shaped like a perfect cube, and is bright white. It's one of many cool rock formations between Bundeena and Marley Beach. Other spots include The Balcony (Bundeena Lookout) and the "White Cliffs" nearby.
Before it was closed, visitors were always told not to stand too close to the edge. This was mainly because of the strong winds that often blow there. You can get to the rock by walking on the Royal National Park Coast Track. This trail goes along the entire coastline of the park, from Bundeena to Otford. Wedding Cake Rock is about 5.1 kilometres (3.2 mi) from the start of the trail in Bundeena.
Why Was Wedding Cake Rock Closed?
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In early 2015, Wedding Cake Rock suddenly became incredibly popular. The New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) noticed a huge jump in visitors. The number of people on the Royal National Park Coast Track went from about 2,000 per month to over 10,000!
Many people think the social media app Instagram caused this boom. Users would go to the rock to take cool pictures, often doing stunts on top of it. This sudden increase in visitors worried the NPWS. Gary Dunnett, a regional manager, wondered if "having 30 or 40 people standing on that area has the potential to tip it one way or the other."
The Rock's Instability
Because of these safety worries, the site was closed in May 2015. After the closure, experts studied Wedding Cake Rock to see how stable it was. They were surprised to find that the rock was not just unstable, but it was almost certain to collapse! They said the entire structure was "precariously balancing on the edge of the cliff, and severely undercut." It seemed to be held up by only a few small pieces of rock from a recent break below. The experts believed it could fall into the sea at any time within the next ten years.
What Happened After the Closure?
Even after the rock was closed, some visitors still jumped the safety fence to take photos on the unstable formation. To stop this, the NPWS started giving out a $300 fine for anyone caught doing so, starting in March 2016. But this didn't completely stop people. So, the NPWS teamed up with the New South Wales Police Force to patrol the area, starting in June 2016.
By July 2016, six fines had been given out. By July 2018, seven more fines were issued. Wedding Cake Rock will stay closed to the public until it eventually falls. However, the NPWS has suggested building a permanent viewing platform nearby. This way, people can still enjoy the view safely. The New South Wales Government even provided money in its 2016-17 budget to upgrade the Royal National Park Coast Track, which includes funding for this new viewing platform.
