The New Zealander, who caught attention of motorists on Monday as he walked along the side of the Sturt Highway carrying a large wooden cross, grew up in what he calls a "bad, broken” home.

By the age of 15, he had been in six different boys’ homes and had begun drinking when he was just 12.

His life continued to spiral out of control. He started taking drugs, began setting fires and was jailed for crimes of violence, which only continued as he attacked guards while in prison.

The man who was known as “Mad Dog” was also in and out of psychiatric treatment facilities.

But his life began to change when he learned his brother had become a minister and he walked into a church in Hastings, New Zealand.

Mr Mudford became a Christian.

He has now been sober for 35 years and for the past 25, he and wife Dee have travelled and shared their story.

His crosswalks, as the couple call them, are Mr Mudford’s way of publicly sharing his message.

“I became a Christian, and it set me free,” he said.

But he also spends time speaking with people who want to hear his message of a changed life. From Alcoholics Anonymous programs to gatherings for juvenile offenders, Mr Mudford wants to share how he was able to turn his life around,