I last spoke to Laraine and Mal Leyland at the Lismore 4X4 Show where I talked Laraine into judging some of the categories at the Camp Oven Cook-off I ran there.

Laraine sadly passed away not that long after the show.  Mal is still going however has been diagnosed with early onset dementia.  He is currently in Western Australia with his daughter and they are planning in the next couple of months to recreate the crossing west to east that the Leyland Brothers did way back in 1966.

Laraine wrote this book and I have often thought it would be worth a read and when this one popped up for $10 I couldn’t resist it.

I saw the original West East crossing at a cinema at West End with my grandfather. I was about 9 years of age.
About 12 months ago I saw a DVD on ebay, of that crossing and a re-enactment some years later.
Well a week ago I watched it again, and it still stirs my adventurous spirit.
Last saw Mal at a caravan camping show in Brisbane about 8 years ago.