Mal Leyland completes his final trip around Australia

He’s the loveable larrikin who inspired a whole generation of Aussies to love outback adventure. 

Now, 81-year-old Mal Leyland has recreated one his most epic journeys. 

In 1966 the Leyland Brothers, Mal and Mike, released a documentary called Wheels Across A Wilderness.

It followed the pair in their Land Rovers as they attempted something that had never been done before.

The brothers travelled the full width of Australia, starting at Steep Point in Western Australia and finishing at Cape Byron.

After the release, Mal and Mike were flooded with fan mail. 

“We started getting letters in and all of a sudden, we realised that it wasn’t just one to two letters,” Mal said.

“We’d go in and there’d be a big bag of mail, sometimes three or four bags of mail.”

Six decades later, Mal embarked on the same journey, except this time it was without Mike, who sadly passed away in 2009.

Mal’s daughter Carmen was by his side over the four-week trip.

“Dad kept talking about wanting to do another trip,” Carmen said.

“All of a sudden, we realised that this year would be 60 years since he did the original crossing, so it was a perfect opportunity.”

Two years ago, Mal Leyland was diagnosed with dementia.

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Physically, he’s fit for an octogenarian, but mentally he’s in a steady decline.

“It’s had a considerable impact on how I have to get through each day. But yeah, it’s something you live with,” Mal said.

“I’m getting through it and managing quite well.”

Carmen says the trip has had a hugely positive impact on Mal’s mental health. 

“His dementia has definitely declined since when we first started planning the trip, and I wasn’t sure how he would handle it, especially, you know, waking up in a new location every day, but he handled that really well.” 

Mal and Carmen were accompanied by a group of fellow outback enthusiasts who’d paid to join them on this recreation. 

“He’s been cracking jokes, it’s been a long time since I’ve seen that,” Carmen said.

“So that in itself is the biggest achievement, more than what we did, which was trying to retrace this trip, but seeing dad interacting with other people.”

Funds raised from Mal’s final trip will be used to build a museum and gallery in the Leyland Brothers’ name, preserving their history for generations to come. 

Leylands Travel Australia operates tours all year round.

You can find out more information on the Leylands Travel Australia website or their Facebook page.