Kings and Queens of the Desert crowned as outback Finke race wraps up

Finke Desert Race winners, driver Travis Robinson and navigator Paul Currie, celebrating their latest victory. (ABC News: Xavier Martin)

Alice Springs' David Walsh has won the bikes section of the Finke Desert Race for a record-equalling sixth time, while West Australian driver Travis Robinson has claimed victory on cars for a second consecutive year.

Reigning Queens of the Desert champions, Hannah Bentley and Madison Healey, were the first women to race across the finish line again for cars and bikes respectively this year.

Hundreds of competitors started the Finke Desert Race from Alice Springs on Sunday, with day two continuing as planned despite a fatal crash yesterday.

Returning legends of the Finke Desert Race, David Walsh and Travis Robinson, have been crowned Kings of the Desert at the gruelling two-day off-road race, with Walsh winning on bikes for a record-equalling sixth time and Robinson claiming victory on cars.

This year's Finke marked the 50th-anniversary event, and more than 150 cars and 670 motorbikes competed, making it the biggest in the competition's history.

The race continued today despite a fatal crash claiming the life of a motorbike rider, who is yet to be publicly named, on day one of the race.

This morning, in the cars section of the race, West Australian driver Travis Robinson and navigator Paul Currie — competing in the extreme 4WD category — were the first to cross the finish line in Alice Springs.

Spectators and competitors flock to Central Australia every year for the famous off-road race. (ABC News: Xavier Martin)

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

The victory marks Robinson's second in as many years, after he snatched the crown from the reigning champion — his brother Beau — in 2025.

Despite the ongoing friendly sibling rivalry, Travis Robinson and his family proudly celebrated this year's result. (ABC News: Xavier Martin)

Speaking to the ABC from the finish line, the driver said his team had cruised through "the perfect weekend".

"It's something I wanted to do for my dad and my family and Paul here, and we've won it twice in a row — smart enough to go out on top and go onto other things, family and business".

Travis Robinson, pictured alongside his navigator Paul Currie, says this year's race will be his last. (ABC News: Xavier Martin)

But he said the off-road racing tradition would likely be carried on by his children, hopefully in about a decade, and Robinson would be cheering on his brother from the sidelines of next year's