Alex Peacock alongside his KTM 500 in the desert trackside after completing the gruelling desert race.
The Tatts Finke Desert Race is a rite of passage for adrenaline junkies ― it’s a bone-jarring explosion on two wheels or four.
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With riders hurtling down corrugated dirt tracks slaloming through the spinifex, mulga, and desert oaks.
The race traces sections of the old Central Australia Railway, cuts through classic red heart terrain and across the vast outback cattle stations before crossing the Finke River north of Aputula just across the SA border and into the Territory.
A mind enduring, body breaking 446km race from Alice Springs to the remote community of Aputula (Finke) ― and back again.
Now, age is just a number, but two decades between hell raising runs is a long time by anyone’s standard.
And Rochester’s Alex Peacock was thirsty once more, deciding to battle the brutality of the off-road motorcycling event at 66 years young ― a personal test of grit, resilience, and then recovery.
Maybe even of survival.
Alex wrapped up the 50th running of the legendary Finke Desert Race in June, tackling the red sand and relentless whoop sections straddling his KTM 500 four-stroke enduro bike ― and hanging on for dear life at time.
First time around he completed the challenge alongside local legend Brian "Murph" Murphy and a crew of mates.
And despite the years, a few serious health scares and people looking at him as if he were just a littler crazy, Alex was determined to line up at the start gate once again.
And that decision to return to the desert was a very personal one.
Around 10 years ago, he faced a battle with stomach cancer, a fight which saw him lose a significant portion of his stomach and a fair bit of weight.
For the Rochester farmer and transport operator, returning to Finke was a way to see how he measured up, if he still did — both physically and mentally — compared to the man who took on the desert 20 years earlier and won.
"I had a few health issues for a while, and I just wanted to see how I was mentally as well as physically compared to 20 years ago," Alex said.
"It’s an incredibly physical race — just relentless big bumps and bloody big holes."
Alex Peacock geared up and ready to ride aboard his KTM 500 at the Finke Desert Race event grounds.
To prepare for the gruelling conditions, Alex even enlisted the help of a sports physiotherapist through a friend, working through targeted exercise routines to stay limber — a major step up from his last attempt.
"Last time I really didn’t prepare much at all. I got out of the truck and went to the thing," he laughed.
Despite the brutal terrain, Alex matched his younger self almost down to the minute.
On the leg out to Finke, he recorded a time slightly faster than his run two decades ago, hitting top speeds of 140km/h, spurting plumes of red dust in his wake.
However, the return journey delivered a classic reminder of how quickly things can turn.
"Coming back, I landed in a whoop alley, bounced off the track, and hit a tree," he recalled.
"It stopped me for a few minutes, and if I hadn’t hit the tree, I would’ve probably been another 30 or 40 places up the ladder."
Aside from a few bruises and a couple of lost minutes, Alex emerged largely unscathed, finishing only marginally slower overall than his first attempt 20 years prior.
Riding solo out on the track was only half the story; getting to the start line took a collective effort, with brothers Richard and Jared driving north with him to provide trackside support.
Back home in Rochester, where Alex keeps busy running farms, trucks, and a hay contracting business, the support flowed in.
"I had an incredible amount of support from people around — people I work with, people I ride with," he said.
"That support makes it a lot easier. All the messages were really good."
Family kept a close eye on his progress too, with daughter Bec and the rest of the family tracking every leg of the journey.
Though he isn't planning on waiting another 20 years for his next run, Alex hasn't completely ruled out a threepeat in one of the world’s most demanding, and dangerous, enduros.
He’s already promised a local friend and rider in his 20s if he decides to enter, Alex will make the trip back up north to support him — and he’d much rather be on a bike than standing on the sidelines.
"If I’m there, I’d rather ride it than watch it," Peacock said.
"It doesn’t matter where you’re riding, it’s just fun. You challenge yourself to do it, and you just test yourself."
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