australian television information archive

Episode 1

New Zealand: 2006
Australia: March 30, 2008
Written by Michael Bennett
Directed by Mike Smith

1867. Ethan and Amy Melville are travelling by coastal vessel with their mother Charlotte. They plan to join their father on their new farm in Canterbury. When the ship is struck by a storm, Charlotte pins a valuable brooch to Amy's dress to calm her as the seas get rough. As the storm intensifies, the call is made to abandon ship and the children are placed in a lifeboat which is washed away from the ship by a big wave.

The next morning we find Ethan alone on a wild deserted beach. He finds soon finds Meg, a young thief he encountered on the ship during the evacuation, and together they look for any other survivors. They hide from a group of "cannibal" Maori out looking for shell fish on the beach amongst which is Tama, a young slave. Meg and Ethan argue, and Meg goes off into the bush on her own in search of water.

Ethan finds Amy clinging to a rock offshore, and makes a raft to get her to the beach. They get caught in a rip trying to get back to shore and Meg helps rescue them. As they rest on the beach they are watched by a sinister warrior — Ranginui.

Starring: Hudson Mills as Ethan, Beatrice Joblin as Meg, Rhys Castle-Hughes as Tama, Mikaela Devitt as Amy

With: Tandi Wright as Charlotte, John Bach as Frank, Brian Sergeant as Harold, Grant Roa as Te Kahu, Edward Campbell as Ship's Captain, Lee Hartley as Crewman

Episode 2

New Zealand: 2006
Australia: April 06, 2008
Written by Michael Bennett and Kathryn Burnett
Directed by Mike Smith

Having left a message for Ethan and Amy's mother on the sand, the three children leave the beach in search of water. They climb to a high vantage point but their hopes of a finding a nearby settlement are dashed. Meg has her eye on the valuable jewelled brooch that she has seen pinned inside Amy's jacket.

The rest of the survivors have come ashore further down the coast. Charlotte persuades Frank and Harry, a couple of grifters that have been travelling with Meg, to help search the nearby coast for her children. Frank has seen the brooch and sees Charlotte as a potential source of wealth.

Charlotte with Frank and Harold arrive at the children's beach. The incoming tide has nearly obliterated the children's message. Frank finds what is left of it and makes sure Charlotte doesn't see it.

After being abducted by Ranginui, Meg is held prisoner in the camp of the travelling Maori band, who are travelling to join a great warrior chief, Ka Awatea. Tama is assigned to watch over her. Ethan and Amy eventually find the camp. Ethan tries to rescue Meg but is thwarted. The next morning when Ethan and Amy awake the warriors and Meg have gone.

With: Tandi Wright as Charlotte, John Bach as Frank, Brian Sergeant as Harold, Grant Roa as Te Kahu, Kirk Torrance as Ranginui, Edward Campbell as Ship's Captain, Adrian Wagner as Warrior, Brodie Tunui as Maori Child, Zachary Watene as Maori Child

Episode 3

New Zealand: 2006
Australia: April 13, 2008
Written by Kathryn Burnett and Michael Bennett
Directed by Mike Smith

Faced with the choice of rescuing Meg or returning to the beach in hopes of finding their mother, Ethan and Amy decide to pursue Meg's Maori abductors. Meg tries to enlist Tama's help to escape but he is wary of her. As the members of the tribe argue over Meg's fate, they are confronted by some armed militia. Meg seizes the opportunity to break free from Tama as an armed skirmish ensues.

Ranginui, the Maori chief, is injured in the fighting. He releases Meg and orders Te Kahu to take her back to the soldiers to end the conflict. Te Kahu however has murderous intentions but Tama intercedes and helps Meg escape. Ethan and Amy emerge from the bush to ask the militia for help but Amy collapses having eating some wild berries and the siblings are taken back to the soldiers' camp. Ethan asks for assistant to get to the nearest town, but the militia won't spare the resources.

Tama guides Meg to the militia camp where she is reunited with Ethan and Amy. Tama is captured by the militia and held captive in the hope he will provide information as to the movements of the Maori warriors. Ethan, Meg and Amy free Tama and flee the camp after putting some of the poisonous berries into the militia's dinner.

With: Tandi Wright as Charlotte, John Bach as Frank, Brian Sergeant as Harold, Gavin Richards as Jack, Kirk Torrance as Ranginui, Grant Roa as Te Kahu, Chris Brougham as Lieutenant, Matt Chamberlain as Bert, Charlie Bleakley as Andy, Adrian Wagner as Warrior

Episode 4

New Zealand: 2006
Australia: April 20, 2008
Written by Michael Bennett
Directed by Mike Smith

The four kids are making their way south when they realise they are being tracked by two members of the militia. Thinking they have lost them, they stop next to a rive to take stock. Too far from the beach to go back, Ethan decides he and Amy will make their way south to where their father will be waiting for them. Their father needs the family money to pay for the farm and Amy's brooch is the only thing of value they have left. Tama intends to return home to his tribe on the south island. Despite going in the same direction, Tama thinks the English children will slow him down and decides to continue alone. With no distinct plans of her own, Meg is content to tag along with Ethan and Amy.

The militiamen suddenly reappear and the kids take refuge in a cave, where they discover strange artefacts. They are confronted by a frightening tohunga. Tama tries to fight him but is overmatched, however the tohunga reveals himself to be friendly. Amy has dropped the brooch on the path outside the cave and the militia find it, and surprise the group in the cave.

The children discover that the tohunga is Ka Awatea, the legendary chief the Maori warriors were travelling to join. The militiamen capture Ka Awatea and Tama and take them away. Ethan and Amy race ahead of them, and engineer their escape. Ka Awatea leads the children through a secret network of caves to the other side of the mountain. Tama decides they should all travel together.

Meanwhile, Frank has hired a Maori tracker and is now on the children's trail having left Charlotte in a rough sailors' hangout.

With: Tandi Wright as Charlotte, John Bach as Frank, Brian Sergeant as Harold, Nathaniel Lees as Ka Awatea, Matt Chamberlain as Bert, Charlie Bleakley as Andy, Chris Ryan as Morgan, Tina Cleary as Genevieve, Jason Te Kare as Tracker

Episode 5

New Zealand: 2006
Australia: April 27, 2008
Written by Michael Bennett
Directed by Mike Smith

The children are getting on well and find time to play just as Frank and Harold catch up with them. Frank reveals himself as Meg's uncle and he makes it clear he expects her to help him steal the brooch. Amy is reluctant to turn on her new friends and when Frank tries to steal the brooch at gunpoint, Amy intervenes by knocking Frank down a cliff allowing the children to escape.

They children take refuge in an orphanage but Frank finds them, Masquerading as the ship's captain, he convinces the orphanage owner, Mrs Brand, that the children are thieves. He takes the brooch and departs, having told Ethan and Amy that Meg is a liar and a thief, who only tagged along with them to steal the brooch. While the girls join the other kids in the orphanage, Ethan is locked away in the basement. Tama, who wasn't permitted to enter the orphanage because he's Maori, sets off after Frank and Harold.

Meanwhile, Charlotte is finding it tough going at the sailors' hangout, and has to manoeuvre her way out of a tense situation.

With: Tandi Wright as Charlotte, John Bach as Frank, Brian Sergeant as Harold, Helen Moulder as Mrs Brand, Ruby Gray as Bridget, April Phillips as Doris, Chris Ryan as Morgan, Tina Cleary as Genevieve

Episode 6

New Zealand: 2006
Australia: May 04, 2008
Written by Kathryn Burnett and Michael Bennett
Directed by Mike Smith

At the orphanage, Ethan is still locked away while Meg and Amy are put to work in the fields. They are worked hard by Doris who neglects to feed them. Amy is still sore at Meg having taken Frank's word that Meg only befriended them to steal the brooch. A childless couple, the Watsons, come looking to adopt one of the orphans and take a shine to Amy.

Meg is befriended by Bridget, one of the orphan children, and enlists her help in an attempt to free Ethan and win back his and Amy's friendship. Meg gets to Ethan but is betrayed by Bridget, and she is thrown in with Ethan.

Tama locates Frank and Harold and retrieves the brooch. They pursue him and he escapes by jumping into a river — which they don't feel inclined to follow him into. Amy is taken away by the Watsons, but Tama spots her on his way back to the orphanage.

Meg is put to work cleaning, but outwits Doris and helps Ethan escape. Tama rejoins them and together they locate Amy and she runs out on her new parents. Meg apologises for lying to the others but Ethan can't forgive her.

With: Tandi Wright as Charlotte, John Bach as Frank, Brian Sergeant as Harold, Helen Moulder as Mrs Brand, April Phillips as Doris, John Wraight as Mr Watson, Tina Regtien as Mrs Watson, Ruby Gray as Bridget, Imogen Cassin as Polly

Episode 7

New Zealand: 2006
Australia: May 11, 2008
Written by Michael Bennett and Kathryn Burnett
Directed by Mike Smith

Unable to trust Meg, Ethan doesn't want to travel any further with her, so she heads off on her own. Ethan, Amy and Tama are travelling south on the wide beaches approaching Wellington. They become involved with an English botanist, Herve Deschler. He is collecting samples of 'new' species of plants to take back to the British Museum. Ethan is very impressed.

After encountering her father working in a prison gang, Meg returns to the others and steals the brooch hoping her father can use it to bribe a guard so he can escape. Meg loves being with her father and looks forward to starting a new life with him until he takes the brooch for himself and gambles it in a card game. She leaves him a note and departs the next morning without without him.

Meanwhile, Ethan and Tama discover that Deschler is carrying stolen Maori taonga — tapu artifacts with great spiritual power. Tama is appalled and wants them returned to their tribe. Ethan can't see what the fuss is. He wants to push on, while Tama stays back to try to recover the artifacts.

Meanwhile, Charlotte arrives in Wellington where Frank intercepts a letter meant for her, telling of her husband having struck gold in the South Island.

Ethan and Amy meet up with Meg and she returns the brooch. Tama catches up with them having recovered the artifacts but he is pursued by Deschler who accidentally shoots Ethan in the shoulder.

With: Tandi Wright as Charlotte, John Bach as Frank, Brian Sergeant as Harold, Richard Shirtcliffe as Charlie, Stephen Papps as Herve Deschler, Adam Brookfield as Guard, Sean Allan as Convict, Shane Bartle as Pastor

Episode 8

New Zealand: 2006
Australia: May 18, 2008
Written by Michael Bennett
Directed by Mike Smith

Pressing on, the children come across an apparently deserted settlement. Ethan's wound is slowing him down and they decide to stop and rest up. They are able to cook their first big meal in a while, and Amy discovers a ouija board, which they use to ask the spirits why the spooky little hamlet is deserted.

A storm lashes the small cottage. Ethan's wound becomes infected and in a fever he has a vision of a woman in a white wedding dress walking in the storm outside. Suddenly she, Rose, is all very real and she confronts the children who are in her home. Ethan makes a grand entrance and faints, shifting her attention to his illness. She tells them that a deadly fever is the reason that the townsfolk left but she is waiting for her husband to return. When Ethan's condition deteriorates, Rose operates to remove the shot still in the wound allowing Ethan to begin recovering.

Tama discovers the body of Rose's husband in the bush and Rose has to face the reality of his death. Amy uses the ouija board to try and make contact with her mother but find Rose's husband instead. He tells Amy that wherever he is, Amy's mother is not with him. When the children depart, Meg intends to go her own way to seek employment at a nearby farm but Ethan asks her to stay.

With: Nikki MacDonnell as Rose

Episode 9

New Zealand: 2006
Australia: May 25, 2008
Written by Michael Bennett and Ken Duncum
Directed by Mike Smith

The children arrive in Wellington and try to find passage across the Cook Strait to the South Island. They see Frank and Harold drinking in the bar next to the wharf office, and flee, losing their places on the ferry. Ethan tries to report Frank and Harold to the local constabulary, but they turn on the children, having received reports from the militia and orphanage about the children's earlier 'crimes', and the children are again on the run.

Charlotte is staying in a small church, grieving her lost children. Ethan enters the church and almost runs into Harold, who hides in the confessional. Ethan makes an emotional confession detailing the children's ordeal to the hidden Harold, who is troubled by hearing the results of his and Frank's misdeeds.

The children decide to steal the constabulary's boat to get across the strait, and Amy disguises herself as a boy to untie the boat. As she does Charlotte passes close by, unseen. Only when she is out on the water, leaving on a boat with Frank and Harold, does Amy finally catch sight of her, but it is too late to catch her. The kids steal the boat and push out into the Cook Strait. Only Ethan believes Amy's story of seeing their mother.

With: Tandi Wright as Charlotte, John Bach as Frank, Brian Sergeant as Harold, Shane Bartle as Pastor, Errol Shand as Drunk, Todd Rippon as Chief Constable, Gavin Rutherford as Ferry Captain, Nick Gibbs as Constable

Episode 10

New Zealand: 2006
Australia: June 01, 2008
Written by Gavin Strawhan
Directed by Mike Smith

Lost in the Cook Strait the children find a drunk man asleep under a sail in the boat. Unfortunately neither he, nor they, know how to sail properly. Ethan, pretending to know more than he actually does, takes charge. They make landfall at night. They wake next morning to find that the drunk has taken the boat and gone. Undeterred they head south, pleased to be in the South Island at last. After walking some distance they discover their own footprints — they are stranded on an island, and the mainland is across a narrow channel.

Meg and Tama find life on the island is not all bad but this causes conflict with Ethan and Amy who are concerned about their mother being with Frank and Harold and want to keep moving. Tama and Ethan are also now competing for Meg's attention. Meanwhile, it seems that there is another mysterious resident on the island with them, but after they discover a skeleton and are confronted with a massive Captain Cooker pig, Tama and Meg decide that Ethan is right — they help him complete the raft he's been building and leave the island.

Charlotte, Frank and Harold are in a hotel in Picton. Frank overhears the drunk guy from the boat talking about the children. To ensure that Charlotte doesn't get to hear this, because he has told her the children are dead, Frank takes the guy outside and pushes him into the sea.

With: Tandi Wright as Charlotte, John Bach as Frank, Brian Sergeant as Harold, Erroll Shand as Drunk

Episode 11

New Zealand: 2006
Australia: June 08, 2008
Written by Gavin Strawhan
Directed by Mike Smith

The children finally set foot on the South Island. As they journey on they meet a young Italian couple, Marco and his heavily pregnant wife, Caterina, whose wagon is stuck in the mud — mainly because it is transporting a massive church bell. The children try to help extricate the wagon but Caterina goes into labour. Tama's people live nearby, but he won't go to get help — he has mixed feelings about returning home as his having been enslaved by another tribe is shameful. Marco panics and Meg has to assist Caterina with the birth of her baby, an experience that brings back painful memories.

As Caterina and Meg recover after the birth, the group are surrounded by Maori tribesmen. It turns out they are Tama's people. They travel to Tama's village, which has recently been burnt down by soldiers and the children are not entirely welcome. Tama however is welcomed in private by his mother. The 'romantic' tension between Ethan, Tama and Meg is further complicated when Meg realises that Tama is engaged to a girl in the tribe named Mahina.

In Picton, Charlotte discovers that Frank has been lying to her when she finds her husband's letter amongst his possessions.

With: Tandi Wright as Charlotte, John Bach as Frank, Brian Sergeant as Harold, Antonia Prebble as Caterina, Cori Gonzalez-Macuer as Marco, Helen Pearse-Otene as Tama's Mother, Joe Dekkers-Reihana as Timoko, Wi Kuki Kaa as Tama's Gradfather, Jacinta Wawatai as Mahina

Episode 12

New Zealand: 2006
Australia: June 15, 2008
Written by Michael Bennett
Directed by Mike Smith

Harold intervenes to rescue Charlotte from Frank and they make their escape into the mountains. Harold confirms her children are still alive and headed towards the family farm but warns Frank will likely be coming after them. Tension ensues when Ethan discovers there is a slave in Tama's village. Despite their argument, Tama shows the children the route to their father's farm.

Ethan, Amy and Meg journey into the pass through the mountains. The weather turns bad and they are forced to spend the night in a cave. As they struggle on in bad weather, they discover footprints heading in the same direction. Initially afraid, there is a joyful sighting of Charlotte and Harold. But as Charlotte runs to embrace her children she slips and ends up hanging precariously over a cliff face.

The children and Harold are unable to pull her to safety her until Tama and Hemana, the slave, arrive. With their help, Charlotte is rescued. Tama grants Hemana his freedom and the the happily reunited group set off for Canterbury and the farm, unaware that Frank lies in wait there.

With: Tandi Wright as Charlotte, John Bach as Frank, Brian Sergeant as Harold, Tama Kirikiri as Hemana, Jacinta Wawatai as Mahina

Episode 13

New Zealand: 2006
Australia: June 22, 2008
Written by Gavin Strawhan
Directed by Mike Smith

The children, Harold, and Charlotte arrive at the farm and start to settle into their new surroundings only to be ambushed by Frank, who locks them in the wood shed. He takes Amy and goes out to meet her father, who is nearing the farm. They manage to escape and race across the farm and find Frank with Amy and her father, John. Ethan and Tama attack Frank but he manages to escape on horseback while the children are preoccupied reuniting with their father. john and the children return to the farm where Charlotte is waiting. The family is finally reunited, but Frank is not far away…

The children try to settle into life on the farm while Tama prepares to return home and Meg makes plans to travel north to Wellington to rejoin her father. Meg slips away in the night and finds Frank camping in the nearby hills. Her friends arrive shortly and are on hand to witness events as Frank is killed when he is thrown from his horse after his gun accidentally discharges. The children are finally safe in their new home. They enjoy a last day together before Tama and Meg depart.

With: Tandi Wright as Charlotte, John Bach as Frank, Brian Sergeant as Harold, Paul McLaughlin as John Melville