Australia isn't happy with the tourists who got stuck on Uluru

Climbing Uluru is not banned but signs near the landmark urge visitors to keep off to respect its sacred significance. Photo / Getty Images

Australians aren't happy with three tourists who ignored pleas not to climb Uluru and became stuck atop the iconic landmark, sparking a costly, 11-hour rescue mission.

The three Australian men, all believed to be aged 23, were climbing the iconic monument on Monday when they strayed off the path and became stuck in a crevice.

Specialist vertical climbers with the Northern Territory emergency services team reached the trio about midnight and brought them safely to the ground about 3.30am on Tuesday.

Many Aussies took to social media to mock and condemn the tourists, who went ahead with their climb despite pleas from local Anangu people to stay off Uluru.

They were branded "idiots", with many commentators suggesting they should have been left on the rock.

leave 'em up there until they learn their lesson

— aimee (@aimeeclarke) September 19, 2016

Climbing Uluru is not banned - thousands of tourists do it every year - but signs near the landmark urge visitors to keep off to respect its sacred significance.

The great debate over whether or not people should climb Uluru reignited recently when the Northern Territory's chief minister Adam Giles said he could see the economic benefits of allowing people to climb it, comparing it to the Eiffel Tower or the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

But the experience has been dangerous for some climbers. In June last year, a Taiwanese tourist was winched from the rock with multiple injuries after becoming trapped in a crevice for more than 24 hours.

Three Aussies stuck on #Uluru as we speak. That's what you get for going against the wishes of the traditional land owners... #straya

— Amber Wilkie (@fromdesktodawn) September 19, 2016

The 27-year-old was taken to hospital with hypothermia, head injuries, fractures to his pelvis and several limbs after he fell into the crevice after getting separated from two companions and taking an alternative route back to base.

Last month, Voyages Indigenous Tourism Australia released incredible footage of the 600 million-year-old monolith from the first drone ever given permission to operate inside Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park.