The Joint Australian Tsunami Warning Centre said the quake was reported as being felt near Kaltjiti (also known as Fregon) in South Australia and Yulara, near Uluru, in the Northern Territory.

It reported the quake as hitting at 4.14am (AEST), with an initial magnitude of 6.1.

Paul Lennen, who lives at Uluru, said his apartment shook for about 15 seconds and there was rumbling as loud as an aeroplane.

"It woke me from my sleep, [I] really felt the apartment moving then it slowly tapered off," he said. "I could also hear it. [I] wasn't sure what the noise was, sounded like a plane."

He said he had driven around town on Saturday morning and there was no visible damage. His father, who was awake at the time, reported hearing a smaller quake followed by a larger one.