HORSE RIDERS WEARING AUSTRALIAN BUSH HATS PREPARE IN SYDNEY FOR FUNDRAISING JOURNEY, 2002-06-04 (photo)

A group of horse riders wearing Australian bush hats listen to speeches at the launch in Sydney June 4, 2002 of what the organisers say will be the world's longest fundraising journey of over 5000 kilometres as part of the Year of the Outback celebrations. Hoping to raise half-a-million dollars for the cancer council, a small group of horsemen and women, led by cancer sufferers Dan Phegan and Ian James, will start their ride on June 30 from the northern Australian city of Darwin, travelling through major outback Queensland towns, through the state of New South Wales and down through Victoria to reach their final destination of the township of Corryong to coincide with the opening of "The Man From Snowy River Bush Festival" in aprroximately ten months time. RIGHTS FREE REUTERS/David Gray DG/PB