in the northland town of kaitaia in spring 1978, nineteen-year-old gerry austin (kelly johnson) opportunistically steals a wallet and uses the cash and driver's licence inside to rent a yellow mini. with no particular aim in mind, he drifts down to auckland. meanwhile, in auckland, the middle-aged john (tony barry), has just had sue, his girlfriend of six years, walk out on him and fly home to invercargill. after a night on the bottle, john decides to go down to invercargill.