A tourist looks across fields in what is called The Promised Land
located 520 kilometres (323 miles) north of Sydney, April 20, 2002. The
fabled place is in a tiny rural hamlet set among rainforests, crystal
ponds and mountain ranges just outside the old timber town of
Bellingen. The valley got its name because of a promise made by a state
government minister in 1907 to release the land for farming, and 'not
to do with any religious stories'. Locals say it is one of Australia's
prettiest pieces of real estate. Picture taken April 20, 2002. TO MATCH
FEATURE AUSTRALIA-HAMLET REUTERS/David Gray

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