Finke Desert Race

Local residents Nartasha and Shayn McNicholl took part in this year’s Finke Desert Race, a three-day event taking place from June 5 to June 8, a race which spans 446 kilometres from Alice Springs to Aputula (Finke Town) and back.

This year’s Finke marked the 50th-anniversary of the event. The numbers taking part this year saw more than 150 cars and 670 motorbikes competing, making it the biggest in the competition’s history.

2026 is the fifth time the pair have competed in this event. Whilst living and working in Alice Springs they competed in 1986, 87, 89. Then returning in 2017 to compete again, but coming away with an injury, and returning nine years later to compete this year.

Shayn was riding his Yamaha WR 450, with Tarsh being the support, the backup and the pit crew, as one can only imagine it’s a joint effort to compete in this gruelling event, with the Finke Desert Race being a shared passion.

Shayn came 247th in the event, 3 hours and 17 minutes on the first leg, 3 hours 13minutes on the return, having a combined time of 6 hours 30 minutes. Crashing a couple of times, but only causing minor damage to the bike, but one time, bending the handle bars and breaking the clutch lever which made it hard to get the bike going, once moving the gear changes were easy, finding a replacement clutch lever of sorts for the return leg was harder.

Says Shayn, “The ‘Finke’ certainly challenges riders and drivers with extreme desert terrain, including deep sand, wash aways, steep inclines, corrugations and loads of dust. Which all makes for a worthwhile and memorable experience.

“To get there, Bridgetown to Alice Springs it’s a three-day journey over, then three days back, so it takes a lot of planning. We managed to shred a couple of tyres on the car, and I mean shredded, torn to ribbons, on the way.

“The race starts with a prologue to set times, the fastest competitors going first, with the race commencing on the Sunday and returning on the Monday.

“An interesting fact about the race’s name is that when the train travelled from Adelaide to Alice Springs it would stop over at Aputula to get water from the Finke River, so Aputula also become known as Finke Town.” Shayn explains.

Around two years ago whilst travelling around Australia Tarsh and Shayn stopped over in Bridgetown for about a week at the caravan park. They were so taken by the place they bought a house in town and have now made Bridgetown home. Shayn is a fly in fly out worker with Tarsh being a support worker in town.

Tarsh continues with, “From when first staying in Bridgetown, we both felt so welcomed being here, it’s like we both belonged.

“A tree change is how our new life is dubbed, but I also like old places and things, so it was easy to feel settled.

“Buying a house and finding work we have cemented our lives here.”

When asked if they will compete again the answer was an emphatic “Yes, but not for a few years.”

The winning vehicle team completed the 460-kilometre race to Aputula (Finke Town) and back in 3 hours, 23 minutes and 6 seconds.

The fastest bike, David Walsh’s motorbike crossed the finish line in a time of 3 hours, 49 minutes and 27.9 seconds.

While there were many stories of the tribulations faced by the competitors over the weekend, the race was sadly marred by the tragic death of a competitor on day one.