As payback for a neglected and unhappy childhood, fifteen-year-old Helen plans the ultimate humiliation on her 'respectable' middle-class parents by giving birth to an illegitimate baby. After adopting the baby out Helen flees the sterile atmosphere of the family home and embarks on a journey of self-discovery that takes her from the sordid world of drugs and prostitution in Kings Cross to the rugged beauty of Arnhem Land where she finds true love and peace amongst the simple-living Yolgnu tribe.