After the long voyage from Scotland, Ada McGrath (Holly Hunter) and daughter Flora (Anna Paquin) are camped on a New Zealand beach, in a tent made from Ada’s skirt hoops.

As the TV mentions the importance of Vince Gair and the DLP (the Democratic Labor Party) in the election, Labor 'insider’ Mal (Ray Barrett) talks politics with Macka (Graham Kennedy) and

Alone in their bedroom, Ada (Holly Hunter) tells her daughter Flora (Anna Paquin) a story about her real father.

Flora (Anna Paquin) and the Maori children play a sexually suggestive game amongst the trees, watched by the Maori women. Mr Stewart (Sam Neill) stops Flora, telling her never to behave that way.

Evan (Kit Taylor) storms back into the party as his wife Kerry (Candy Raymond) is having sex with Cooley (Harold Hopkins), a serial seducer.

With their husbands and boyfriends making naked fools of themselves, Kath (Jeanie Drynan), Jenny (Pat Bishop) and Kerry (Candy Raymond) try to talk about their children, but Susie (Clare Binney), t