Act One

11 May

Scene I

Lake Rotoroa Motor Camp

Enter nine keen young trampers who leap out of the bus that has transported them from Rotoiti Lodge and who are immediately attacked by sandflies and slowly start to freeze in the chilling southerly wind flowing across a lake pictureseque in the extreme.

They are shocked out of their frozen existence by the news that the launch is not sailing because the lake is too rough.

Impatience breaks out and the trampers exit east around the lake on foot.