As payback for a neglected and unhappy childhood, sixteen-year-old Helen plans the ultimate humiliation for her 'respectable' middle-class parents - giving birth to an illegitimate child. Deciding to adopt the baby out, Helen flees the sterile environment of the family home and embarks on a journey of independence that takes her to the sordid world of drugs and prostitution in Kings Cross to the rugged beauty of Arnhem Land where she finds true love...