Ray Whitrod (1915–2003) came to national prominence in 1976 when he resigned as Queensland's Commissioner of Police as a protest against corruption.

Stacey (Ray Barrett) goes to a separatist political rally, looking for the missing girl, Cathy McCredie (Janet Scrivener).

Michael Stacey (Ray Barrett) introduces himself and his milieu – the beautiful beach of Surfer’s Paradise on the Gold Coast and a town full of ugly buildings.

Bill Heslop (Bill Hunter) entertains a Japanese resort developer (Ken Senga) and his interpreter (Kuni Hashimoto) at a Chinese restaurant.

Muriel (Toni Collette) has run away to Sydney, where she shares a flat with Rhonda (Rachel Griffiths), her new best friend.

Muriel (Toni Collette) joins her friends, once the in-crowd from high school, at a local club. Tania (Sophie Lee) has discovered her new husband is having an affair.